Massachusetts

MBTA Bus

More Dedicated Busways Coming to Greater Boston

Cities in the Boston area are looking to center-running bus lanes as a next step in developing the region’s public transit infrastructure.

March 5, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Taco Truck

No Late-Night Tacos in My Backyard

Neighborhood veto power can conflict with citywide goals to provide a 24-7 urban experience, as a case study from Boston shows.

February 27, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Brutalism

Bribery Scandal Leads to Zoning Board Reforms in Boston

The planning approvals process took a black eye in Boston last year, when a bribery scandal sent a Boston Planning and Development Agency staffer to jail.

February 25, 2020 - The Boston Globe

cars

Massachusetts Legislators Fear Hidden Gas Tax in Transportation and Climate Initiative

Gov. Charlie Baker (R) supports a multi-state proposal to mitigate tailpipe emissions that would increase gas prices and pay for transit projects in an $18 billion transportation bond. A bill has been introduced to ensure that doesn't happen.

January 6, 2020 - The Boston Herald

New Jersey

East Coast Considers Plan to Hike Gas Prices to Mitigate Climate Change

Will a dozen East Coast states and D.C. agree to a regional plan that would likely hike gas prices through a "cap-and-invest" program to mitigate tailpipe emissions similar to what California has done for the last five years?

December 30, 2019 - The New York Times

Greensboro Station on Metro's Silver line near Tyson's Corner

5 Transit Projects to Watch in the D.C. Region in 2020

Light rail, bus rapid transit, subway cell service, and more.

December 26, 2019 - WAMU

Middlesex County Massachusetts

Details of a New Master Plan for Massachusetts Suburb

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council guided the town of North Reading, located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, through a new master planning process.

December 22, 2019 - Metropolitan Area Planning Council

MBTA Green Line

253,000 Housing Units Possible in Boston With Transit Oriented Density, Report Says

Raising density around transit stations to a level already existing in some parts of the city would enable hundreds of thousands of new housing units in and around Boston, according to a thought experiment by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.

December 19, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Boston

Research Quantifies the High Price of the Massachusetts Car Economy

Car culture isn't free, even for people who don't own cars.

December 13, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Pedestrian Bridge

New North Avenue Bridge in Boston Would Ban Cars

The "people first" design favored by the city of Boston would not allow for cars on the planned North Avenue Bridge replacement.

December 13, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Boston transit station

Report Documents Safety Concerns on Boston's T

Safety is not the priority at the T, according to a report released today.

December 9, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Brookline, Massachusetts

Winter Friday Fun: A Map of the Best Sledding Spots

There's a map of Boston that points out all the best sledding spots. It seems like there are millions of kids living in other parts around the country that could benefit from a sledding map of their hometown.

December 6, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Massachusetts

Newly Approved Development Sets New Standard in Boston Suburb

The Upper Falls neighborhood in Newton, Massachusetts will be gaining a large, mixed-use neighbor.

December 4, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Reserved Parking

A Post-Car-as-King Planning World

Cities not named from Boston in Massachusetts are explored for lessons in contemporary parking regulations.

November 26, 2019 - CommonWealth

Massachusetts State Capitol

No 'Housing Choice' Bill in Massachusetts This Year

The key item on the housing agenda of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will have to wait until next year.

November 24, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Downtown Boston

A Bold Vision for a Car-Free Boston

As other cities take daring steps to reclaim their streets, a car ban in downtown Boston doesn’t seem so implausible.

November 22, 2019 - Curbed Boston

Downtown Boston Waterfront

600-Foot Tower Proposed for the Boston Waterfront

A proposed high-rise would transform the downtown Boston waterfront, and the city's skyline.

November 22, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Massachusetts

Local Leaders Press Massachusetts for New Sources of Transportation Funding

Three separate coalitions of local mayors, each from different corners of Eastern Massachusetts, want to the commonwealth to prioritize transportation funding. Some even called for a 15-cent increase to the gas tax.

November 16, 2019 - Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Dockless Bike Share

Boston-Area Bikeshare Findings Help Identify Planning Priorities

An analysis of Lime bikeshare data from Boston suburbs is providing useful information about travel behavior and trends.

November 12, 2019 - CommonWealth

Train

Worst Transit Riders, Ranked

The ongoing effort to rid transit systems of riders incapable of living by the Golden Rule continues in Boston, written by a columnist with an obvious case of the Mondays.

November 4, 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.