Massachusetts
Rezoning Every Residential Neighborhood in Cambridge for Affordable Apartment Buildings
Cambridge, Massachusetts has opened all residential neighborhoods to the development of apartments buildings with 100 percent affordable units. It might be the most "sweeping attack on elitist and racist single family zoning" in the country.
Arts for Community Control: Planning an Arts and Innovation District Without Displacement
Residents use creative engagements to envision an arts and innovation district without displacement in Boston’s Upham’s Corner.
Boston Launches a 20-Year Urban Forestry Plan
The forthcoming Boston Urban Forestry Plan is expected to support communities that have been disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors.
Ambitious New Boston Common Master Plan Revealed
The oldest city park in the United States, used as a cow pasture until the 19th century, is slated for a major upgrade.
States Use CARES Act Funds to Keep Renters Afloat
More than a dozen states are using Community Development Block Grant funding from the CARES Act to fund emergency rental and mortgage assistance programs.
Imagining Alternatives to an Enlarged I-90 Viaduct in Boston
Massachusetts Department of Transportation plans to heighten and widen the Allston section of I-90 viaduct do not align with the community's desire for an environmentally friendly and pedestrian- and cycling-oriented new solution.
Critics Say Boston Tree Removal Plan Reflects Environmental Racism
A road project in Boston involves removing hundreds of mature trees. Residents say the plan is an environmental justice issue.
How Massachusetts Got its Historic Planning Reform Moment
As reported earlier this month, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to approve historic statewide land use reforms that would preempt local control of residential development. Here's a detailed account of how the state arrived at this moment.
'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts
After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.
Murder, Redlining, and the Fight for Jamaica Plain
In “Redlined: A Novel of Boston” by Richard W. Wise, an organizer's murder in 1970s Jamaica Plain exposes an epic battle over the future of American cities.
The U.S. in Free Fall
The U.S. has over 2.9 million COVID-19 cases; half of them were diagnosed in the past week and a half. On July 6, cases are increasing in 32 states, holding steady in 14, and decreasing in four.
Boston's Deeply Discriminatory Rental Market Ignores Black Renters
A new study documents staggering racial bais in the Boston rental market and compares the racial disparities among prospective tenants seeking housing in 2018 and 2019.
Renters Falling Behind, Survey Says
New survey data from Massachusetts finds massive housing market stress as more and more renters falling behind on payments.
Natural Gas Leaks Responsible for the Death of Trees in Urban Areas, According to a New Study
A new study conducted in Chelsea, Massachusetts is the first to quantify the effects of natural gas leaks on the health of urban trees.
Hotels Could Play a Critical Role in Containing Coronavirus in Crowded Cities
Some cities are leasing entire hotels to provide rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to infected people, to allow for safe and supportive isolation away from family or household members who risk being infected.
State Legislators Rescind Gas Tax Support in Massachusetts
While advocates argue for raising the gas tax while gas prices are low, Massachusetts legislators are backing away from an idea they supported in March.
Part II: The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Part I was shutting down the economy on a multi-state basis in the absence of federal leadership. Part II will be opening them up in spite of federal assertiveness.
Transit Agencies Begin Service Changes for Coronavirus Response
Public transit agencies are responding to declining ridership during the Coronavirus outbreak by reducing service. But the right balance between safe, reliable, and sustainable will be hard to calibrate in these difficult times.
Hoboken First U.S. City to Shut Down Restaurants and Bars and Issue Curfew
Restaurants and bars shut down on Sunday due to the coronavirus. On Monday, a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew becomes effective. According to a Harvard University public health expert, "Hoboken probably is the model we all need to move towards now."
Massachusetts Conflict: Gas Tax or Carbon Charge on Fuel to Fund Transit?
The Democratic House just passed a gas tax increase that the Republican governor opposes because he wants his state to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a carbon pricing program applicable to fuel. Both measures will fund transit.
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
