Massachusetts
Can Somerville, Massachusetts Keep Transit Oriented Redevelopment Affordable?
With six new Green Line stations coming to Somerville, Massachusetts in the next few years, planners and political leaders are trying to find the right balance between transit oriented redevelopment and its more expensive consequences.
Urban America's 'Reconnaissance Mission for Progressive Politics'
Recent commenters have described cities as the locus for a new type of liberalism that benefits a broader swath of demographics. Dissenters wonder whether certain progressive cities, enabled by privilege, are merely drivers of inequality.
AAA Expanding Roadside Assistance—to Bikers
AAA recently announced that it would offer roadside assistance for bikers in need in Southern New England and Colorado, joining similar programs in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, New Jersey, and British Columbia.
Caltrans Really Is Becoming More Bike and Walk Friendly
News flash: California has become only the third state to endorse the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guidelines to enable more walk and bike friendly projects such as protected bike lanes.
The Original Big Digs
The gridlock in American cities today doesn't compare to the crush on streets in Boston and New York City in the mid- to late-1800s. In The Race Underground, Doug Most chronicles the occasionally synchronous development of the nation’s first subways.
The Secrets to Hubway’s Bikeshare Success
Bikeshare programs have met varied degrees of success in North America. Boston’s Hubway, the result of a public-private partnership, is turning a profit entering its fourth year. What's its secret?
One Possibility for Activating Vacant Storefronts in Small Cities
A post on the blog for Utile, a Boston-based architecture and urban planning firm, recommends the coffee cart as a bit of DIY urbanism for cities like Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Small City Braces for Marijuana Dispensaries with New Zoning Restrictions
Burlington, Massachusetts is considering a zoning bylaw to determine the location of “Registered Marijuana Dispensaries” before a state deadline for creating land use controls for dispensaries. The legal distinctions in zoning for RMDs are tricky.
Mapping Immigration’s Effect on Boston Neighborhoods
“A City of Neighborhoods,” a new exhibit at the Boston Public Library, uses maps to illustrate how waves of immigration shaped the city and its neighborhoods throughout the 20th century.
Boston’s Government Center T Station Closed for Access Improvements
Boston recently shut down one of its busiest transit hubs, the Government Center T Station for over-due renovations above and below the ground. The station was originally built in 1898, and without a major renovation since the 1960s.
Boston Mayor Plugs Into Big Data
New Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has installed a large data dashboard in his office to track the performance of everything from city services, hot line call volume, and social media sentiment.
Questioning the National Flood Insurance Program’s Repeat Payouts
The National Flood Insurance Program is unable to keep up with the pace of storms and sea level rise since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and is now $24 billion in debt. Why then, do the same houses receive repeated payouts?
A Call for 'Cooler' Buses
Edward Glaeser pens an opinion piece on the missing ingredient in the bus riding experience—cool. Not necessarily Mick Jagger cool, but definitely Steve Jobs cool.
Containing the Impacts of Gentrification for Long-Time Homeowners
Given the unprecedented nature of the gentrification occurring in American cities, many cities have had to respond swiftly to the pressures of changing neighborhoods. A new article surveys cities using property tax relief to support urban homeowners.
Boston’s Micro-Apartment Experiment Continues
Boston, like other cities around the country, suffers from a housing shortage. Initial micro-apartment developments met plenty of demand, but whether the model is a panacea for the city’s housing shortage is still in question.
Funding Appeal for Beaches in Massachusetts
The Metropolitan Beaches Commission has improved conditions and facilities at many of Massachusetts' beaches since its inception in 2006. Recently, however, the commission called for funding to be restored to pre-recession levels.
Modern Love Looks Like Parking Tickets
Fools rush in, they say—with a little push from the Cambridge Traffic, Parking, & Transportation Department.
Boston's First Permanent Public Market to Start Construction
To capitalize on expanding interest in locally-sourced and unique food items, a non-profit group is moving forward with plans to build Boston's first permanent public market focused on locally grown foods in a space atop the Haymarket MBTA station.
Zoning Change Clears Way for Urban Farming in Boston
The urban farming movement won a big victory recently in Boston, where new zoning regulations allowed for the creation of certain kinds of commercial farms within city limits.
Ambitious Boston Rail Expansions Planned for Next Decade
This week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced how it aims to spend $12.4 billion on road and transit projects over the next five years. Expansions of Boston's Fairmount Indigo Line and Green Line are planned.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
