Massachusetts
Smart Growth Worries School Board
The school board of Chicopee, Massachusetts is concerned that a proposed smart growth district would overwhelm the school system.
Boston Proper Cheaper Than Burbs
A new report from ULI maps out the 'housing plus transportation' costs in all Boston neighborhoods. Turns out living in the heart of the city is cheaper than the outer neighborhoods.
Transit Fan Takes the Helm
Last week, Richard A. Davey Jr. was appointed the new general manager of the MBTA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The Boston Globe's transportation reporter rides the T with him and talks transit.
Boston Neighborhood Transforms Church into Housing
How grassroots organizers beat out commercial bidders, and overcame zoning hurdles to redevelop Catholic church into affordable housing.
OP-ED: Make "High-Speed" Rail Speedier
Train writer Christian Wolmar argues that the best application for high speed rail funds would be to upgrade the Washington D.C. to Boston, 150 mph Acela line to true, high speed rail status and used as a showcase for American rail technology.
Representing and Understanding the City Graphically
Columnist Jeanne Haffner goes hands-on to learn how graphic representation is used in the day-to-day work of planning.
Turning an Ethnic Enclave Into An Asset
Lowell, Mass. has one of the largest populations of Cambodian immigrants in the country. City officials want to create a "Little Cambodia" neighborhood to capitalize on that strength without exploiting it.
Revitalizing a City With Technology
The town of Holyoke, Massachusetts has hired Cisco to create a technology-led urban revitalization plan.
Underground Theater - No, Literally Underground
The winner of the SHIFTboston Ideas Competition is a proposal to turn the unused Tremont Street Subway tunnel under Boston Common into a network of underground cultural venues.
Good Bones
That's what a consultant told Robert L. Hubbard, city director of planning and community development of Gardner, Massachussetts, about the city's infrastructure. Gardner intends to build on those bones with an urban renewal plan.
The Preserved Underground Past of Boston's Subway
A video from The Boston Globe takes a look into the world below the city's subway system.
Embattled Cape Cod Wind Farm Hits Spiritual Speedbump
After lobbying from two Native American tribes, the Nantucket Sound has been made eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, creating a possible further delay of a proposed wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod.
Convention Centers Can Be "Deadly, Single-Purpose Monoliths"
Robert Campbell argues that Boston's planned expansion of the convention center should be mixed-use and urban in nature.
Northeast Shut Out From High Speed Rail Money
The Northeast corridor has effectively been shut out from receiving any federal high speed rail stimulus dollars due to tight environmental review policies.
New Harvard Campus Postponed Indefinitely
After halting construction on a science center in Allston months ago, Harvard has announced that the project will be postponed for the foreseeable future.
DIY Energy Even Better
Massachusetts has made home energy generation more attractive by allowing individuals to sell excess energy back to utility companies.
Filling In The Holes From The Big Dig
Boston's Big Dig was supposed to result in a series of glorious, connected public spaces. Two years after the project's completion, the state is finally making the connections a reality.
Green Jobs Outlook Not So Rosy
The New England Economic partnership warns that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's optimism about green jobs may be unrealistic.
One Transportation Agency to Rule Them All in Mass.
It is now official: the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be the singular transportation and transit agency for the entire state. With the swearing in of its five-member board, the agency can begin its work.
Tear It Down, Says Speck
Planner and author Jeff Speck pays a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts, and tells an audience to tear down their civic center. "If you don't tear it down now, it will become protected in 10 years," says Speck. "Tear it down now."
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
