Massachusetts

MBTA Bus

Boston Bus Lanes Improving Commute Times and Reliability

Data from the Boston area shows that dedicated bus lanes are helping to get buses moving.

July 9, 2019 - WBUR

Boston, Massachusetts

Design Review: Boston's Posh New High Rise

One Dalton Street, the third tallest building in Boston, is almost complete.

July 2, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Hotel Alexandra

Why Are These Prime Boston Properties Sitting Vacant?

Even though they often occupy valuable real estate, some Boston properties have sat vacant in various states of limbo for years.

July 2, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Boston T

Tech Execs Call for More Public Transit Funding in the Boston Region

A Red Line train recently derailed on the T in Boston, providing the latest example of the need for drastic measures to course correct public transit in the region.

June 28, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Deaths of Seven Motorcyclists Results in Resignation of Motor Vehicle Registry Chief

A pickup truck driver towing a trailer on a two-lane rural road in New Hampshire on June 21 is charged with seven counts of vehicular homicide after colliding with a group of motorcycle riders. Attention has turned to his commercial driver's license.

June 28, 2019 - USA Today

Massachusetts

Zoning Slowing Production of New Homes in Massachusetts

A quarter of all Massachusetts renters spend more than half their income on rent. A report from the Smart Growth Alliance argues NIMBYism is partly to blame.

June 27, 2019 - CityLab

Boston Seaport

Boston’s Seaport District, Where Building Started Before Flood Preparation

The Boston waterfront has been booming, but the area is extremely vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels. Measures to address those risks have come just recently.

June 22, 2019 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Western Massachusetts

Reviving an Old Regional Rail Route to Spur Tourism in Western Massachusetts

The Berkshire Mountains have long been a popular destination for sightseers, tourists, and weekend warriors. A pilot Amtrak route is designed to attract new waves of New Yorkers to the region.

June 13, 2019 - Curbed Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston City Hall Plaza Ready for a Makeover

Bostonians love to hate City Hall Plaza. That could change, as the city finalizes a renovation project that aims to transform the way the public sees the city's government.

June 8, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Back Bay

How, and Where, Land Use Regulations Block Multi-Family Housing in the Boston Region

New analysis explores every city and suburb in the Boston region to reveal the tools of multi-family housing obstruction—sometimes it takes more than zoning to block apartments from getting built.

June 4, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Silver Line

Price for Repairing Boston's Transit System: $10 Billion

A new estimate of how much it will cost to repair all of the infrastructure in the MBTA system places the price tag $3 billion higher than an estimate made only four years ago.

May 15, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Boston, Massachusetts

Commute Frustrations Boil Over in Massachusetts Poll

A recent poll of Massachusetts voters was able to connect the realities of the housing market to the frustrations of the daily commute.

May 2, 2019 - The American Prospect

Boston T

Ending Rent Control Changed Everything in Massachusetts. What Happens If It Becomes Legal Again?

Two proposed bills would roll back a statewide prohibition on rent control in Massachusetts. The city of Cambridge, how of the anti-rent control movement in the state, is now a poster child for the housing crisis.

April 30, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Vancouver Skytrain near Chinatown

Scenario Planning Can Help Prepare for a Hard-to-Predict Future

Questions about the variables that could significantly alter the future of transportation, and the configuration of the public realm to accommodate those futuristic forms of transportation, illustrate the potential power of scenario planning.

April 26, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Protected Bike Lane

New Bike Infrastructure Standard Set in Cambridge

Cambridge, Massachusetts has made a thorough commitment to building robust bike infrastructure with every street repair project.

April 9, 2019 - Streetsblug USA

Massachusetts

Zoning Code Rewrite Paused in Newton, Massachusetts

The mayor of Newton says the city's planning department is stretched too thin, with several ordinances and large development proposals in the works.

April 4, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Downtown Boston

Boston Reconsidering its Inclusionary Zoning Formula

Boston has set the same inclusionary zoning requirements for 19 years, and after a busy 2018, the city could be set to require even more affordable housing with each new development.

March 27, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

Zoning Reform Gets Another Try as Massachusetts Wrestles With Housing Crunch

Strong support for local control has made statewide legislation to address the housing affordability crisis difficult to approve in the Bay State.

March 20, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Boston Street

Mapping the Microcosms of Segregation

A new analysis of inequality looks at where people go and how they spend their time.

March 15, 2019 - CityLab

Boston Subway T

A Twitter Account for Your Transit Mood

A Twitter account is broadcasting its findings about the mood of transit riders in Boston, in real time.

March 14, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.