Can the Olympic bid provide an impetus for long-range planning for the Boston metropolitan area?
A column by Joseph Curtatone argues that the city of Boston should use the occasion of preparing a bid to host the 2024 Olympics by considering the needs of the city in 2124: "We should not be planning to host a three-week party. Instead, we should be looking to dovetail Olympic preparations with community-building initiatives. We pride ourselves in being national and international thought leaders and a Boston bid should advance the Olympic ideal, using the Games as a transformative event to better the lives of the people in the city/region where the Games take place."
Curtatone cites regionalism and transportation infrastructure as two areas that will require significant efforts to prepare for a role as host city. Curtatone also cites a recent Metropolitan Area Planning Council report [pdf], calling for 435,000 new housing units by 2040 to address the region's affordability efforts. "A Boston Olympics done right should embrace smart growth principles to net us thousands of new housing units," writes Curtatone.
FULL STORY: Olympics a regional effort
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