A new development promises to transform a gritty part of the Back Bay, according to this article from the Boston Globe.
Tim Logan reports: "A windblown, traffic-choked corner of the Back Bay could soon get a major makeover. But it’s going to take something that hasn’t happened here in four decades: a construction project above the Massachusetts Turnpike."
"Developers hope to start work early next year on a pair of towers that would be on a deck above the busy highway and Commuter Rail tracks, on the west side of Massachusetts Avenue between Boylston and Newbury streets," adds Logan. "The complicated project, seven years in the making, won a key vote from the Boston Planning & Development Agency on Thursday and now heads to the final stages of planning with state transportation officials."
The development of the two towers will also include significant investments in the public realm, like a two-story public plaza, a new entrance to the MBTA’s Hynes Convention Center Station, and new bike and bus lanes. A lot more detail and a rendering of the planned project can be found at the source article.
FULL STORY: For the first time in four decades, new buildings could rise over the Mass. Pike
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.