Consulting Planners of Mass. News

Talk: Boston and the Making of a Global City

Anne McKinnon — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:42:45 GMT

Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

State Library, State House FREE

Boston and the Making of a Global City (2025) traces Boston's history from an economic and globalization perspective. Today, Boston is considered a global city and leader in innovation from robotics to life sciences. Author and urban planner James O’Connell explains how Boston took advantage of its universities and health care institutions to attract talented scientists, students, researchers, and thinkers. From leading colonial port to biotech hub, O’Connell offers analysis of Boston’s strengths as well as the socio-economic challenges the city faces.

O’Connell is an adjunct professor at Boston University teaching in the City Planning-Urban Affairs Program. He wrote seven books an has written several articles on urban affairs. O’Connell worked as a planner at the Boston Office of the Northeast Region of the National Park Service. His career experience encompasses regional planning and redevelopment projects within Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. from Bates College and a Ph.D. in American Urban and Cultural History from the University of Chicago. O'Connell also hosts Urban Walking Tours of Boston in numerous neighborhoods.

Mass. APA fall magazine features articles by 3 CPM members

Anne McKinnon — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:43:37 GMT

The Mass. APA magazine (Fall 2025) has three articles by CPM members:

Kathy McCabe's (McCabe Enterprises) cover story on drones in planning,
Ernest Bleinberger (Strategy 5) "Hidden Treasure: The Economic and= Fiscal Impacts of Multifamily Housing," and
Mark Favermann (Favermann Design) on planning's role in preserving culture.
MA-Planning-Fall 2025.pdf

Boston Planning Chief Kairos Shen on Planning 5-30-25

Anne McKinnon — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:25:52 GMT

This article first appeared in the Mass. APA magazine, Summer 2025 edition.

Kairos Shen 5-30-25.pdf

This Paris neighborhood could be a blueprint for better American cities

Daphne Politis — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:11:37 GMT

"global social housing movement, in which governments directly develop large-scale, mixed-income residential projects. In many European and East Asian countries, public development corporations have become significant real estate players. By developing large numbers of homes on public land, often in architecturally striking complexes closely linked to public transit, these agencies can shape the overall housing market and lower average prices. They can benefit from economies of scale and cross-subsidization, wherein the rents of higher-income tenants directly subsidize rents of their lower-income neighbors."

https://www.fastcompany.com/91318915/this-parisian-neighborhood-could-be-a-blueprint-for-better-american-cities

Lessons from Canada on Affordable Housing Production?

Daphne Politis — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:09:11 GMT

"As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

...Carney’s housing platform in some ways resembles that of the Democratic nominee for president in November, Kamala Harris. But Carney’s platform deviates from that of his center-left American analog in crucial ways. It’s worth examining each candidate’s housing platform to see where the Democratic party falls short compared to global peers...

Perhaps, Canada will be able to show its neighbor (or, it’s neighbour…) that when it comes to housing, bolder is better."

https://www.planetizen.com/features/134879-canada-vs-kamala-whose-liberal-housing-platform-comes-out-top?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=1c25f1362f-newswire_04_28_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-89126228&mc_cid=1c25f1362f&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Moving Backwards... Changes to Safe Streets Grant Criteria

Daphne Politis — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:55:30 GMT

"The program has eliminated some prior criteria related to “Economic competitiveness, equity considerations, workforce, and the climate.” The program will also take a negative view of projects that would reduce car lanes or capacity."

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/04/134827-safe-streets-grants-what-know?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=288a761f86-newswire_04_24_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-89126228&mc_cid=288a761f86&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Mass. Distinguished Planner Lecture March 14

Anne McKinnon — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Gail Latimore will give the 2025 Mass. Distinguished Planner lecture. Gail has been a leading voice in neighborhood planning in Boston for more than 25 years. As Executive Director of the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, she helped shape that organization as a powerful force for affordable housing, economic development, sustainability and community engagement.

Fri., March 14 at 4 pm

Location: 909 Renaissance Park, 1135 Tremont St., Boston
By subway: 2-minute walk from the Ruggles Orange Line T stop or a 10-minute walk from Northeastern University Green Line T stop.

By car: Park at the Renaissance Park Garage ($28 for 2 hours).

Why Aren’t There More Bollards in US Cities?

Daphne Politis — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:01:26 GMT

Solid barriers, like the dormant ones in New Orleans, are commonly used to improve road safety in Europe. Why not here?

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/01/133835-why-arent-there-more-bollards-us-cities?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=0e6e9fc4e9-newswire_01_20_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-89126228&mc_cid=0e6e9fc4e9&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

ITS International Interview with Carol Schweiger, ITS Legend for 50 Years

Anne McKinnon — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:22:56 GMT

Some people just seem steeped in transport. Carol Schweiger is one of those: she’s had nearly five decades’ experience consulting in ITS and advanced public transportation systems and is a regular speaker at the industry’s international conferences and congresses...

https://www.itsinternational.com/feature/carol-schweiger-i-never-looked-back

CPM Members Feted at APA Mass. Annual Awards Dec. 13

Anne McKinnon — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:03:44 GMT

Judi Barrett, founder and managing director of Barrett Planning Group, was awarded CPM's prestigious lifetime achievement award for her "work and dedication to the planning profession as a practitioner, thought leader, mentor, educator, colleague and volunteer." Barrett Planning Group was also recognized by APA for its role in several award-winning projects.

Mark Favermann, a member of CPM's Executive Committee, was awarded APA Mass.'s Journalism & Communications Award for excellence in journalistic/media coverage of a planning issues.

Congratulations, Judi and Mark!

Singapore: A Model for Longevity and Quality of Life

Daphne Politis — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:13:16 GMT

Singapore has seen a remarkable rise in life expectancy, with residents now expected to live to more than 86 years, a significant leap from the 1960s when life expectancy was just 65. As reported by Lindsey Galloway, the city-state’s transformation has been driven by forward-thinking government policies focused on health, wellness, and longevity. Singapore was named the world’s sixth “Blue Zone” in August 2023, a designation typically reserved for regions where people live longer due to lifestyle, culture, and community. Unlike other Blue Zones, Singapore’s success is rooted in its intentional policies rather than long-standing traditions.

Health-conscious policies, such as high taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, public smoking bans, and initiatives to encourage healthier diets, have significantly impacted public health. Residents like Firdaus Syazwani have noticed changes in the community’s health consciousness, with government measures like nutritional labeling and sugar reduction playing a role. Singapore’s healthcare system is globally recognized, ranked the best in the world for citizen health and access to care. Universal healthcare, combined with private services and savings funds, ensures a balance between quality care and affordability.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20241002-singapore-the-worlds-sixth-blue-zone

Is the '15-minute city' concept bunk?

Anne McKinnon — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:42:49 GMT

Planner, urban designer and community branding expert (and CPM member) Mark Favermann explores the 15-minute city concept and how it might be improved in the Mass. APA Fall 2024 magazine https://www.apa-ma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MA-Planning-F24-1.pdf

Smithsonian Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART) Call for Applications

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:48:37 GMT

For more information or to apply

In 2015 the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) became the co-sponsor, with FEMA’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (OEHP), of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public- private partnership created to protect our nation’s cultural heritage. Both SCRI and OEHP are committed to expanding training for U.S. cultural stewards, first responders, and emergency managers to better prepare them to work together to address emergencies and disasters that affect cultural institutions and historic sites.

In 2017, HENTF created this training opportunity for U.S.–based professionals to gain skills and experience in disaster response for cultural heritage. SCRI hosted the inaugural Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART) for 25 participants selected from a range of museums, libraries, archives, and emergency management organizations representing 21 states and the Territory of Puerto Rico. In March and June of 2018, HENTF brought HEART to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, respectively. Previously, SCRI has successfully supported and hosted this type of training for international participants as part of its six-year partnership with ICCROM and the Prince Claus Fund for the First Aid for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC) training program.

HEART combines the important principles of the internationally recognized FAC methodology with context-specific information for a U.S. audience. HEART goals are to improve U.S. disaster response at the institutional level, strengthen existing networks, and connect participants to the network of people trained to document and protect cultural heritage in times of crisis. Participants will learn to be proactive in determining risk for collections, respectful of local context, and, after completing their training, ready to support measures to protect cultural heritage at their respective institutions and in their own communities. Please note, the HEART program does not accept applications from international professionals, Smithsonian Institution staff, and staff of FEMA.

How North Carolina’s Vietnamese Refugees Are Helping a New Wave of Afghans Resettle

Daphne Politis — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:16:42 GMT

North Carolina is home to the world’s largest population of Vietnamese Montagnards. And as Afghan refugees find their footing in Greensboro, they have wisdom to share.

https://nextcity.org/features/north-carolina-montagnard-vietnam-war-refugees-afghan-evacuation-resettle?utm_source=Next%2BCity%2BNewsletter&utm_campaign=8735b28692-arts_culture_2024_08_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fcee5bf7a0-8735b28692-44132557

NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets Aims To Make Streets Safer, Greener and More Habitable

Daphne Politis — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:50:24 GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people used public space in New York City, with streets like 34th Avenue in Queens shutting down to cars and opening up for neighbors to walk, bike and play.

Now, the New York City Department of Transportation is launching a new initiative, the Office of Livable Streets, to design and implement streets that accommodate people using all modes of transportation. It’s the first office of its kind in the U.S., according to the department.

With an emphasis on streets that are not just for cars, the new office is rethinking streets as public spaces.

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/nycs-new-office-of-livable-streets-aims-to-make-streets-safer-greener-and-m?utm_source=Next%2BCity%2BNewsletter&utm_campaign=472552de80-DailyNL_2024_05_21_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fcee5bf7a0-472552de80-44132557

Parking and Smaller Spaces

Leonardi Aray — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Carol Todreas, CPM member and Principal at Todreas Hanley Associates, explains the need for parking and smaller spaces.

https://nerej.com/the-best-of-times-by-carol-todreas

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

Daphne Politis — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:09:24 GMT

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/03/127950-mall-dead-long-live-mall?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=d068a62bd2-newswire_03_25_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=d068a62bd2&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Finally, a Path Toward “Modern Housing” in 2024

Daphne Politis — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:27:30 GMT

Op-ed: In the 1930s, one woman put forward an idea to radically change the way we see housing in America. Now, almost a century later, policymakers in New York are following Catherine Bauer's approach.

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/finally-a-path-toward-modern-housing-in-2024?utm_source=Next%2BCity%2BNewsletter&utm_campaign=225fcb20c1-DailyNL_2024_03_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fcee5bf7a0-225fcb20c1-44132557

How millennials could give the suburbs a much-needed makeover

Daphne Politis — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:26:06 GMT

“all kinds of suburbs have the potential to free themselves from traffic and long commutes and create more vibrant neighborhoods. Suburbs need to prioritize loosening zoning laws, building more dense housing, and making it easier to get places without a car, experts say.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/suburbs-millennials-walkable-towns-cities-housing-affordability-loneliness-2024-2

A Brief History of Racial Zoning and How to Reverse the Lasting Effects of Housing Discrimination

Daphne Politis — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:12:28 GMT

"Racial zoning ... begins in 1910, when Baltimore passed the first racial zoning ordinance in the U.S., making it illegal for Black Americans to live in white neighborhoods (and vice versa), which prompted other cities across the country to follow suit. From there the article covers how patterns of segregation formed and evolved under racially restrictive covenants and municipal zoning — and the related court case rulings — throughout the decades.

The “devastating effects … on those who have been kept out of historically white communities,” including higher poverty rates, lower home values and incomes, and lower home ownership rates, persist to this day, Fatheree writes, citing research from the Other & Belonging Institute. Featheree closes his article by discussing steps that need to be taken to reverse the effects of this discrimination and the role federal, state, and local governments should play in righting the wrongs they caused.

https://urbanland.uli.org/a-brief-history-of-racial-zoning-neighborhood-associations-and-municipal-zoning

Mayor Wu wants to overhaul Boston’s rules for what can be built where.

Daphne Politis — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:36:11 GMT

As the city revamps its zoning code, neighborhood groups and advocates are pushing back, posing a political risk for the mayor...Her plan would shift the city from a traditional “use-based” code, concerned with how buildings function — as an office, home, or warehouse — to a new “form-based” code focused more on how big and tall they can be. "

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/20/metro/wu-rezoning-politics-boston-real-estate/?et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=todaysheadlines%3Anewsletter

Black Urban Planners Are Redesigning Communities to Help People of African Descent Thrive

Daphne Politis — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 02:25:06 GMT

"Changing the legacy of racist planning policies requires a creative vision, practical solutions, and centering of the Black experience."

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/02/127303-black-urban-planners-are-redesigning-communities-help-people-african-descent?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=5f665eaf1a-newswire_02_01_24_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=5f665eaf1a&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Philly Shows How European-Style, Walkable Street Networks Are Possible In America

Daphne Politis — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:30:45 GMT

"CityBeautiful explores what would it take to integrate networks of narrow, walkable streets into U.S. cities, using Philly's Quince Street as a model."

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/philly-how-european-style-walkable-street-networks-are-possible-in-america?utm_source=Next%2BCity%2BNewsletter&utm_campaign=85be62d62c-DailyNL_2023_12_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fcee5bf7a0-85be62d62c-44132557

All We Want for the Holidays is…

Daphne Politis — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 16:36:39 GMT

A dozen timely gift ideas for creating better communities.

https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/126710-all-we-want-holidays?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=e4345d8954-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_09_05_38_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=e4345d8954&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

How Design Can Help Mitigate Extreme Heat

Daphne Politis — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:23:31 GMT

"To prepare for hotter summers, designers and architects can build resilience into the urban environment...Holistic community-oriented urban planning solutions can create impact across all scales, from individual spaces to entire cities, as we collectively seek to navigate periods of extreme heat and prevent them from worsening."

https://www.planetizen.com/features/126610-how-design-can-help-mitigate-extreme-heat?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=7e6c559930-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_09_05_38_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=7e6c559930&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

California Is Showing The Potential Of Strip Mall-To-Housing Conversions

Daphne Politis — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:15:39 GMT

"If just the best-suited 10% of America’s strip malls were redeveloped, we could build 700,000 new affordable homes nationwide....While much of the focus is on office conversions, an idea that swept the nation as millions of Americans transitioned to remote work, relatively few office buildings are physically suitable for conversion. The costs can be incredibly high and the surrounding neighborhoods, often in business districts, are not necessarily conducive to new housing and the needs of residents....Unlike office-to-residential conversions, the redevelopment of strip malls focuses on repurposing the unbuilt portion of a site or building up from existing structures, rather than examining physically and financially feasible ways to repurpose high-rise office buildings into housing. In addition to creating new housing, mixed-use redevelopments of strip malls with retail space on the ground floor can keep existing retail tenants open and increase foot traffic."

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/california-is-showing-the-potential-of-strip-mall-to-housing-conversions?utm_source=Next%2BCity%2BNewsletter&utm_campaign=f656424a95-DailyNL_2023_12_07&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fcee5bf7a0-f656424a95-44132557

What does AI have to say about Boston?

Daphne Politis — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:34:17 GMT

Curious what AI has to say about Boston? Here are a few questions and answers about our city with an online artificial intelligence program.

https://bostoday.6amcity.com/city/artificial-intelligence-boston-ma?utm_term=bostoday&utm_campaign=daily-newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=bostoday&utm_content=bostoday

The Promise of Congestion Pricing

Daphne Politis — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 19:23:06 GMT

New York's long-awaited congestion pricing program could break open the controversial practice in the United States.

New York City’s congestion pricing program, set to launch next year, could pave the way for similar programs in other U.S. cities, which have been reluctant to implement cordon pricing despite its popularity in other parts of the world, writes Adie Tomer in Bloomberg CityLab.

“Congestion pricing isn’t just a new fee on driving; it’s the single most powerful transportation experiment America has not yet tried,” Tomer claims. This demand-driven approach to traffic management can reduce congestion, boost public transit use, and raise revenue. In New York, “the state plans to reinvest nearly 100% of the congestion revenues back into the MTA system, shoring up annual budgets today and unlocking expansion plans in the future.”

Tomer believes that once the benefits of the program become evident, more cities will quickly follow suit. “Once congestion pricing gets off the ground, it can unlock the Holy Grail of transportation pricing: vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees, which would charge for every mile driven, not just those in specific zones.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-16/nyc-congestion-pricing-plan-will-set-us-model-for-reducing-traffic?srnd=citylab

Why College Campuses Make Ideal Models for Cities

Daphne Politis — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 02:38:19 GMT

"College campuses serve as ideal models for cities, with their integrated infrastructure, vibrant communities, sustainability initiatives, and innovation hubs inspiring urban planning and development for a brighter future. Educational institutions such as college campuses are designed with students in mind. Everything is within walking distance so they can go to work, classes, shops, and restaurants while remaining near their homes. They can do all this without a vehicle. Even those who do not live on campus rarely need one. In most cases, a bicycle works perfectly. It is more than enough for them to go to class, work, and stores. This works so well because campuses are built on a human scale."

https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/126375-why-college-campuses-make-ideal-models-cities?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=85bee39a40-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_09_05_38_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=85bee39a40&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Brooklyn Library Comes With Affordable Housing

Daphne Politis — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 02:34:51 GMT

"Combining affordable housing with a library reduced the cost of the project and gives residents access to essential resources. In addition to books and educational resources, libraries provide crucial free access to resources such as computers, job resources, homework assistance, and children’s programming. "

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/11/126394-brooklyn-library-comes-affordable-housing?utm_source=Planetizen%2BUpdates&utm_campaign=85bee39a40-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_09_05_38_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6cce27a957-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=85bee39a40&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

NYC Releases Outdoor Dining Designs

Daphne Politis — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:04:31 GMT

"New York City has released proposed designs for on-street dining setups, known locally as ‘streeteries,’ reports Christopher Bonanos in Curbed, in anticipation of a new program that will make the al fresco patios permanent—with some caveats."

https://www.curbed.com/2023/10/the-2024-streetery-is-taking-shape.html

How to Cool Down A City

Daphne Politis — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 19:59:29 GMT

Singapore is rethinking its sweltering urban areas to dampen the effects of climate change. Can it be a model?https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/18/world/asia/singapore-heat.html?mkt_tok=MzA4LVRMVy00MjUAAAGPJkM02l_QcfZ6d2Z1JhAWTDIoDdBzjdRehW0gmhD9MFElS14yKJ3shKf--VjCG30qj4Q8AWFlfYf_IGcJ25A-hlYZkQ8V1WV-oqIbwU2a#:~:text=Researchers%20say%20that%20planting%20more,time%20trying%20to%20do%20that.#:~:text=Researchers%20say%20that%20planting%20more,time%20trying%20to%20do%20that.

What Americans Can Learn From Europe’s People-Friendly Places

Daphne Politis — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:03:39 GMT

“[I]t’s not accidental. It’s leadership. And it’s a community that is willing to bite the bullet and commit themselves to a pedestrian-friendly core.”

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/10/18/rick-steves-what-americans-can-learn-from-europes-people-friendly-places

Can You Build An LGBTQ Neighborhood?

Daphne Politis — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:14:25 GMT

Developers are trying to spark the birth of a new queer neighborhood in Cleveland. But can a massive real estate development succeed as LGBTQ-focused?

https://nextcity.org/podcast/can-you-build-an-lgbtq-neighborhood-cleveland-is-trying

The 100 Most Influential Urbanists, Past and Present

Daphne Politis — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 08:02:08 GMT

"In May, Planetizen set out to revamp a list of "Most Influential Urbanists" last compiled in 2017. In a call for nominees, we challenged readers to think beyond the canon and nominate a more diverse collection of individuals and causes.

Planetizen posted the nominees in June, a list of 200 that included 53 Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), 15 BIPOC women, 54 total women, and several non-binary representatives as well (we didn't verify the gender or racial identity of each of the people on the list, so that count might be off by one or two here and there).

Since June 29, Planetizen received 982 survey responses ranking these urbanists, and we are ready to reveal the new list, which you can read below."

https://www.planetizen.com/features/124594-100-most-influential-urbanists-past-and-present?fbclid=IwAR1AEt_L0yeH1G2fBQKA1hLKn_MD-q1elkGbzJohAsj_9W7_dGr-AXFvbBI

New Report on Loneliness and Isolation

Daphne Politis — Wed, 31 May 2023 14:02:32 GMT

A new advisory from the Surgeon General declares that there is an epidemic of loneliness in the United States and that lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The advisory outlines the framework for a new national strategy which is based on the following six foundational pillars:

Strengthening social infrastructure, which includes things like parks and libraries as well as public programs.
Enacting pro-connection public policies at every level of government, such as accessible public transportation or paid family leave.
Mobilizing the health sector to address the medical needs that stem from loneliness.
Reforming digital environments to critically evaluate our relationship with technology.
Deepening our knowledge through more robust research into the issue.
Cultivating a culture of connection.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/05/123068-new-report-loneliness-and-isolation

FOR FULL ADVISORY SEE HERE:

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

How Can Urban Planning Address the ‘Loneliness Epidemic’?

Daphne Politis — Wed, 31 May 2023 13:57:06 GMT

"Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently released an advisory addressing an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” in the United States.

For reasons that are a little bit unclear—declining religiosity, the rise of social media, maybe—for a long time now, Americans have been reporting more time spent alone, smaller social networks, and fewer people they can confide in. Isolation is not a trivial thing, but a serious threat to survival, coming with increased stress, insomnia, suicide risk, and hypertension, the Surgeon General warns.

The report describes loneliness and disconnection as a national health concern comparable to obesity, diabetes, and smoking. People in poor health or with disabilities, LGBTQ people, and single parents are particularly susceptible, as are young people (who seem to be uniquely struggling right now).

Unfortunately, all these factors were worsened by the pandemic. There are probably few Americans who weren’t affected by loneliness at some point during this period.

“...the social infrastructure of the community” is what we need to strengthen and rebuild."

https://www.planetizen.com/features/123219-how-can-urban-planning-address-loneliness-epidemic?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-05302023&mc_cid=b747dbe212&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Let’s talk retail

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 30 May 2023 19:37:51 GMT

By CPM member, Carol Todreas

The Gap is laying off hundreds of employees, Bed Bath &Beyond is finished and many others are ailing and failing. Retail is in a wild state of flux. Nothing is certain; yet consumers are still buying goods and most interestingly it has been predicted that brick and mortar is in a period of growth despite the other fact that e-commerce is also predicted to gain more of the consumer spending pie. The point is that even though banks may be toppling and there is talk of recession, consumers are still consuming.

With such a vibrant retail scene, there is much to talk about. However, leases and tenants still are fundamental, and they are evolving. Here is a glance at what is now transpiring.

Leases and Related:

• Demand for good locations is greater than supply; much competition for space exists in established malls and shopping streets.

(According to Cushman and Wakefield, the national retail vacancy rate fell to 5.7% at the end of the year, its lowest level since 2007.)

• Lease negotiations continue in the trend that started before the pandemic: they are more individualized and creative with landlords being flexible and working to help each tenant.

• Newer brick and mortar tenants may want only 6-24 months to test the market; other more experienced tenants may want more typical 20-year term leases.

• Leases are tending to have annual increases to keep up with inflation, instead of at pre-scheduled times which was the convention before the pandemic.

• Rents in high-demand suburban locations are now almost the same or the same as in dense urban locations; rents have been increasing as populations migrate and drive demand.

Tenants and Related:

• E-commerce retailers continue to open physical stores.

• Tenants now want creative store design to attract customers.

• Tenants want stores to be sized and configured for ease of circulating and entry/exit.

• Store design needs to accommodate multi-channel selling; the success of tenants depends on being able to coordinate merchandise between Internet and physical store.

• Stores touting a low carbon footprint either because of design and construction or merchandise selection (or both) are noted and preferred by Millennials and Generation Z customers.

• Pop-up tenants remain an important element of any mall or shopping street. It does not matter the retail category, from food to clothes to jewelry, consumers gravitate to something new and different.

• Mixed-use projects can be risky for retail tenants; each project should be evaluated for its retail market potential.

To date pre-owned, resale and second-hand stores are big attractions for consumers. They are exactly on point for those who want to save money, hunt for treasures, and save the environment which happens to be most of us.

In this category look for RaaS or resale as a service. This niche concept began on the Internet but has been far more profitable in physical stores. Specifically it is a partnership between brands and resale platforms. The brand sells its oversupply of merchandise to a third party brick and mortar store. As such the resale store becomes the sales service for the left over merchandise and eliminates the middle man.

The two most recognized national chains in this category are ThredUP and Trove; however, several similar concepts are in the pipeline, and local retailers will be finding some innovative way to add their own twist to the concept. There will be various adaptations of the concept, mixing and matching new merchandise with edited pre-owned, second hand goods in one brick and mortar store.

The take a way: Retail brick and mortar lives and breathes and shoppers buy…….when it is right.

Carol Todreas is retail consultant for Todreas Hanley Associates, Cambridge, Mass.

https://nerej.com/let-s-talk-retail-by-carol-todreas

Cities need better public transit, less driving, new international report says. That makes Mass. a laggard, not a leader.

Daphne Politis — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:14:37 GMT

"In Massachusetts, the car is still king...By these standards, the Boston area is in many waystrending in the wrong direction. Instead of increasing rapid transit service to entice people away from cars, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority cut subway frequency by more than 20 percent last June and still has not restored pre-pandemic service levels. Similarly, the state agency has cut bus service repeatedly over the last year and a half and continues to routinely cancel scheduled trips because it doesn’t have enough drivers, falling behind similar large US transit agencies."

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/24/metro/cities-need-better-public-transit-less-driving-new-international-report-says-that-makes-mass-laggard-not-leader/?et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=todaysheadlines%3Anewsletter

Boston’s Beloved Triple-Deckers Are Next-Level Affordable Housing

Daphne Politis — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:29:30 GMT

"Long before contemporary urbanist catchphrases like “gentle density” and “missing middle” housing were invoked to promote modestly scaled multifamily construction, triple-deckers embodied the idea. The original threeplex. Packed tightly onto narrow lots, sometimes in semi-detached pairs known as “perfect sixes,” the boxy structures — close to workplaces or linked to public transit— offered an attainable alternative to more expensive single-family homes, all in service to a healthy local economy. This was state-of-the-art workforce housing, New England-style."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-05-17/three-cheers-for-the-triple-decker-boston-s-iconic-cheap-housing?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=230517&utm_campaign=QH14LDDWX2Q601

New Costco Design With Apartments Overhead Has Property Brokers Buzzing

Daphne Politis — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:24:49 GMT

"No car? What if you need to make a Costco trip?"

One development in LA's answering that: by building apartments over a planned Costco.

The chain's business model of bulk purchases provides the biggest example of challenges in adapting sprawling development patterns to be more walkable, but the broader principle could lead to more urban grocery stores with less parking required.

https://www.costar.com/article/899472246/new-costco-design-with-apartments-overhead-has-property-brokers-buzzing?fbclid=IwAR2DMxJDNzcBZlNpcplVroNOUgMAXS3fZ-30gLLKiVu-XLclNjiledppuog

From Cyberpunk Barcelona to Neo Tokyo: 20 AI-Generated Cities You Have to See

Daphne Politis — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:22:47 GMT

These AI-inspired images of cities are created using NightCafe and MidJourney, two popular services that use artificial intelligence (AI) to create images from text descriptions.

An AI image generation service creates images using a machine learning technique called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). To create images of cities, the AI is trained on images of cities, and then it can generate new images of a future city based on a prompt — a set of words or phrases provided by the image creator. The AI algorithm uses a feedback loop to improve the images it produces, making them increasingly realistic.

https://steins.medium.com/from-cyberpunk-barcelona-to-neo-tokyo-20-ai-generated-cities-you-have-to-see-4a22b47d2b78

A 200 MPH Train Is En Route To Connect Boston And Manhattan

Daphne Politis — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:14:48 GMT

Big dreams of an audacious 225mph bullet train from Boston to NYC were first introduced in 2021, and the time-saving idea is still in motion.

Millions of people currently commute between Boston and New York City via Amtrak. The fastest train at the moment is the Acela Express which is usually about a 210-minute ride,providing the fastest possible ground transport between Boston and New York to this day. The bullet train from Boston to NYC proposes speeds of 225 miles per hour that would slash that commute in half to about 90 minutes!

https://bostonuncovered.com/bullet-train-boston-to-nyc/

Introducing the 15-Hour City

Daphne Politis — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:21:09 GMT

“The 15-minute city principle suggests you should have your daily needs—work, food, healthcare, education, culture, and leisure—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from where you live. It sounds pleasant enough, but in the minds of libertarian fanatics and the bedroom commentators of TikTok, it represents an unprecedented assault on personal freedoms.” — The Guardian

If you’re worried about the government confining citizens to life inside a walkable 15-minute box, then we invite you to the 15-Hour City: a metropolis so sprawling and convoluted to navigate only by car, you’ll need over half the day to accomplish the basic necessities of living.

In the 15-Hour City, the most important tenet is freedom of movement. Here, you can travel anywhere you want, as long as it’s on the handful of roads we afford to maintain with a gas-guzzling car that costs half your paycheck.

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/introducing-the-15-hour-city

Inaugural Massachusetts Distinguished Planner Annual Lecture

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:12:10 GMT

The Massachusetts Planning community will be coming together to for the Inaugural Massachusetts Distinguished Planner Annual Lecture. Practitioners, educators, and students from across the Commonwealth are welcome to attend the lecture and a reception to follow. The Lecture recognizes and celebrates a retiring practitioner. For this first year, Peter C. Lowitt, FAICP, will deliver the lecture. This event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-MA), in collaboration with the state’s planning schools. No registration required.

When: March 29, 2023, at 4:00 pm

Where: Alumnae Lounge, 40 Talbot Avenue

Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155

The event is walking distance to the new Medford/Tufts stop (Green Line) and the Davis Square (Red Line) stop on the MBTA. Parking is available at the Dowling Hall Garage, 419 Boston Avenue.

In order to make this Lecture a permanent part of the planning community in Massachusetts, we are seeking donations to create an endowment that would fund the Lecture indefinitely. Please consider making a donation here: http://go.tufts.edu/MassPlannerLecture.

Questions? Please email Justin Hollander, PhD, FAICP: at justin.hollander@tufts.edu

Keeping the “there” there - by Carol Todreas

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:15:45 GMT

Long time CPM member, Carol Todreas, presents an update on the state of retail.

https://nerej.com/keeping-the-there-there-by-carol-todreas

CPM Highlights from 2022

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 17:48:25 GMT

Consulting Planners of Massachusetts wishes all a happy start to 2023. As we look ahead to a new year —with plenty of exciting programming already in the works!— we also want to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments in 2022. Read on for highlights from the past year and learn about the variety of events, programming and advocacy efforts made possible by the support of our members.

2022 Highlights

Eight in-person & virtual events hosted, including:
- Creating a Race Equity Framework and Tools for Planners, a two-part workshop run by the YWCA and sponsored by BETA, Barrett Planning Group, Jacobs, Favermann Design, LAA and LDS on how planners can view their role through a racial justice lens. Participants earned AICP CM credits.

Micromobility Forum: Focused on micromobility planning in urban and suburban areas, this forum held an Infrastructure Tour of North Station, met with leading micromobility company Spin Scooters and produced a forthcoming white paper.

2022-2023 Speaker Series: CPM recently hosted conversations on The Art of Classic Planning with Dr. Nir Buras and Cognitive Architecture with Ann Sussman. Keep an eye out for 2023 speakers and networking activities!

Two new board members:
- Mark Favermann and Lynne Sweet joined the CPM Executive Committee at the start of 2022 and their contributions have been invaluable. Lynne was also featured as our March '22 Planner of the Month.

Dozens of postings and updates published:
- 107 RFPs, upcoming RFPs and job opportunities were posted to our website and sent in regular email digests to our members.
- 26 news and professional updates were published on our website to keep you up to date on planning in the Commonwealth and at large.
- Two letters from CPM were published in The Boston Globe highlighting the value and need for planning.

And more!
- CPM presented the Distinguished Civic Leadership Award to Emmy Hahn (Mass. DHCD) at the APA-MA Annual Awards in December 2022, recognizing Hahn's tireless work for private sector planners. Read more on page 11 of the Winter 2023 MA-APA Planning Magazine.

CPM's entry to the 2022 BSA Gingerbread Design Competition on resiliency measures for the Chart House at Long Wharf received the award for Best Architectural Detailing.

CPM Vice-President Kathy McCabe, FAICP, represented CPM with articles in each 2022 issue of the MA-APA Planning Magazine.

We could not have accomplished so much in 2022 without the support of our members. We grew our membership by 21% and added a new membership tier of Circle Members, to recognize our super contributors for their exemplary support. Thank you to each and every one of our members for your contributions to CPM. We look forward to providing our network dedicated planning resources for another year! —and if you're thinking about becoming a member, you can learn more about the benefits of membership and join today.

NYC Mayor Proposes Office Conversion Plan

Daphne Politis — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:10:16 GMT

Proposed zoning updates that would make it easier to convert office buildings in commercial districts to housing and other uses could yield up to 20,000 new housing units in the next decade...“Expanding the options available to these office buildings will help ensure our business districts’ vitality. And while housing is the top priority, we also need to think creatively about how offices can be turned into child care centers, schools, labs, and other uses we want to see.”

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/01/120914-nyc-mayor-proposes-office-conversion-plan?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-01172023&mc_cid=4e42a24fe2&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Gamble Associates' Rochester, MN, Riverfront Plan Wins BSA 2022 Award

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 14:04:49 GMT

Gamble Associates, an architecture and planning firm in Cambridge, was awarded a BSA Design Award for its Riverfront Plan in Rochester, Minnesota. Projects selected for awards were those that “strive to be more inclusive, center economic development, and include community voices in the planning process.”

Trapped: Worcester neighborhoods still suffer from the legacy of redlining

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 14:51:00 GMT

Comprehensive (aka long) story about the effects of 1936 redlining on Worcester neighborhoods today.

https://www.wbjournal.com/article/trapped-worcester-neighborhoods-still-suffer-from-the-legacy-of-redlining

Trapped_ Worcester neighborhoods still suffer from the legacy of redlining _ Worcester Business Journal.pdf

Community Feedback Process Needs Reform

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:22:45 GMT

"Community Feedback Process Needs Reform" is the title of this article, and while it's whiny in places and bullying in others, there are a number of good points noted.

In short, the problem with community feedback is not the concept itself, but the way it is executed. We do it too often, for too many things, for too long, and in the wrong manner. We ask the wrong questions of the wrong people and use the answers in the wrong way. Professionals and politicians have so far been afraid to admit there is a problem outside of private conversations, because it can seem anti-democratic and even anti-American to appear opposed to the town hall ethos of local control.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7z5jm/thank-you-for-your-feedback

The Boston Globe: Urban Planners Want Planning For E-Bikes

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 20:47:18 GMT

New Subway Station in Athens doubles as a museum

Daphne Politis — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 13:22:46 GMT

Travel Through History: The most recent addition to the subway system in the Greater Athens area (@ the port of Piraeus) provides a critical public transportation link while also acting as a museum displaying the archaeological artifacts uncovered during the construction process! One doesn't even have to pay to enter the station and enjoy the museum's exhibits located throughout the station!!

https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/11/03/reuters-on-piraeus-metro/?fbclid=IwAR3l8_lORTtpT3zV4kkDW4W3i3q_SS_-6zEZl4hZzN3pJpha3iWHs4Rs5tU

Women in the Streets – How to Make Urban Mobility Safe and Accessible for All

Daphne Politis — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:53:06 GMT

The moment you step out of your home, the decisions you make and the challenges you are facing moving through the city are highly dependent on people’s gender. Despite the still common belief that urban mobility is gender-neutral by default, researchers and practitioners are becoming aware of the inherently different behavioral patterns and experiences of women navigating city streets. We will now take a look at how women practitioners are working on the topic of gender equality in mobility in Copenhagen, Paris and Brussels.

https://www.allthingsurban.net/blog/Women-in-the-Streets-%E2%80%93-How-to-Make-Urban-Mobility-Safe-and-Accessible-for-All

Planning for a livelier downtown Boston means moving beyond offices

Daphne Politis — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:41:35 GMT

Boston's downtown was clobbered by COVID. Foot traffic is still around half of what it was pre-pandemic, as people abandon their high-rise offices to work from home. According to city officials, only 30% of offices downtown are currently occupied.

City officials have been thinking about how to breathe life back into the once-busy neighborhood. In a plan released Thursday, the downtown Boston they envision has more food trucks, shops and tourists. It has performances, a lively nightlife and more housing — including affordable units.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/10/27/downtown-boston-financial-district

Toronto's curbside patios made nearly 50x more money than the parking spaces they took up

Daphne Politis — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:57:53 GMT

"One of the best things that the many painstaking months of lockdown brought us was the innovation of curbside patios that have become an enduring norm in cities like Toronto, where the streets now feel absolutely alive with all sorts of bustling new outdoor dining spaces."

https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/10/torontos-curbside-patios-more-money-parking-spots/?fbclid=IwAR1SpIN9G-GdEbOByQVlF3hmSVqaJ5BU--qIjR_fDbJ94EM2kF5WLYBf7bQ

The Death of Parking Requirements

Daphne Politis — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 16:58:52 GMT

"More cities and states are recognizing the harmful impacts of minimum parking requirements, which in many cases have accelerated sprawl and raised the cost of housing construction.

...the history of minimum parking requirements, which began as a reaction to the sudden influx of automobiles to cities as the invention became more affordable. “As more people bought cars, a self-fulfilling cycle set in: cities started to separate districts by use, assuming everyone can drive from their residential area to their shopping area to their office. Large highways began to cut through town centers, making it harder to cycle or walk.”

https://time.com/6217873/parking-lots-climate-change-california/

"Imagineering" Versus Planning

Daphne Politis — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 16:51:24 GMT

"What Disney does for fictional landscapes, planners must do for real landscapes.

Disneyland is nicer than the real world. People are willing to pay for nice, even for only a few hours. That's because, for much of recent history, in the vast majority of places, the imagination and talent has been privatized, funded, and promoted, and the public realm has, in too many cases, been neglected, starved, and vilified. The public realm doesn't get nearly the sort of attention and investment as even a few dozen acres of private realm.

Disneyland came about precisely at the peak of and, I would argue, because of mid-20th century suburbanization. As the country was becoming deliberately dull and homogenous in the late 1950s, a place of excitement, escape, and, indeed, ersatz urbanism became more marketable. Disneyland promoted suburbanization in order to offer an antidote to suburbanization. The uglier [Anaheim] is, and the less pleasant that walk is, the more exciting those other -lands become.”

https://www.cp-dr.com/articles/when-planners-wish-upon-star

Sam Moffett, AICP, Joins Weston & Sampson

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 20:54:06 GMT

Weston & Sampson welcomed Sam Moffett, AICP, as a Senior Principal Planner in its Reading office. Sam has 25 years of environmental planning experience, with a specialty in transportation infrastructure permitting and planning. He has also provided electrical infrastructure siting, planning, and permitting services for electrical utility clients, provided NEPA compliance services for transportation agencies and military clients, completed permitting for merchant solar electric facilities, and prepared critical issues and siting studies for proposed merchant power generation facilities. At Weston & Sampson, Sam will provide leadership for the firm’s growth in the infrastructure design, planning, and permitting marketplace.

A certified planner, Sam earned his MA in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University and his BA in Government from the Harvard University Extension School.

San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl

Daphne Politis — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 21:41:33 GMT

"Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program."

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/07/117674-san-francisco-reconsider-inclusionary-zoning-development-slows-crawl?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-07072022&mc_cid=b95a122441&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

David Lee FAIA Receives Harvard GSD Alumni Award

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 21:08:55 GMT

David Lee and his late partner, Stull and Lee founder Don Stull, are 2022 recipients of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) Alumni Award. The award, which was founded and led by the GSD Alumni Council, recognizes and celebrates "the diversity, leadership, range and impact of GSD alumni within their communities and across their areas of practice."

David wrote: "Don was a friend and mentor and a truly exceptional leader and pioneer as a Black man in a predominantly White profession, having established our award-winning architecture, urban design, and planning firm in 1966. After starting with the firm while still in grad school in 1969, I became a named partner in 1983. I was pleased to take the helm of Stull and Lee, Inc. as president after Don's retirement in 2013, continuing to grow our portfolio of urban design and architecture projects around the country.

I am truly grateful for the many personal and professional relationships made during my years as a GSD student and adjunct faculty member. My GSD experiences were priceless and I appreciate the support and encouragement of family and friends through the years!"

Will less parking mean more housing in Cambridge?

Daphne Politis — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 13:42:47 GMT

"The city is eyeing a controversial proposal to end parking requirements at new buildings in an effort to lower development costs and create more housing."

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/20/business/will-less-parking-mean-more-housing-cambridge/?et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=todaysheadlines%3Anewsletter

How Cargo Bikes Can Help Women

Daphne Politis — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:10:37 GMT

More likely to trip chain or to transport children and groceries, women around the world stand to benefit from easily accessible cargo bikes.

With vast gender differences impacting mobility choices, urban planners and researchers have been working to uncover workable solutions for closing the gap and ensuring women have the same transport opportunities as men. Some cities, like Tartu, Estonia, have approached this through a reconsideration of the built environment, reorganizing their city to create 15-minute areas, with facilities for everyday life — supermarkets, schools, doctors — all within a walking distance from the place of living

https://womenmobilize.org/can-cargo-bikes-close-the-gender-mobility-gap/

An abandoned Berlin airport is being transformed into a climate-neutral, car-free neighborhood

Daphne Politis — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 22:31:32 GMT

“The planning is based on questions such as: How do we want to live and get around in urban spaces in the future? What qualities are important to us as individuals and as a community? And what functionalities can’t we do without?” explains Constanze Döll, press secretary for the Tegel Projekt, which is developing the area, called the Schumacher Quartier. While the final designs are not yet complete, the project has several guidelines. First: People take priority, not cars."

https://www.fastcompany.com/90769791/an-abandoned-berlin-airport-is-being-transformed-into-climate-neutral-car-free-neighborhood?fbclid=IwAR1A4A0XFz27_o401ZbFaehpuOFcmNAxDRyjG9KuvuW9IAcbStDI7PyHj-k

Spatial age segregation and impacts on access to urban activities

Daphne Politis — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 13:25:55 GMT

"Spatial age segregation occurs when individuals of different ages do not occupy the same space and, thereby, lack mutual interactions. Evidence suggests that bringingdifferent age groups together could have a number of societal benefits that range from the reduction of ageism and the risk of isolation in later life to the promotion of socialization between the young and the old."

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0198971522000734?token=F554F9B72A067AFDF568AAE50FDCD07A4E96A1903FD9DAF96D6499252B997316C963579AC697F49B7B65EBC97A1A9A70&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20220603132356

NYC 25x25 Plan Would Reclaim ‘13 Central Parks’ From Cars

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 May 2022 15:34:35 GMT

A plan backed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams would repurpose 25 percent of the city’s street space for multimodal transportation and pedestrian plazas.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/05/117186-nyc-25x25-plan-would-reclaim-13-central-parks-cars?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-05192022&mc_cid=a88b4593bf&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Letter: Death of the Hynes would cap the neglect

Wed, 18 May 2022 21:45:04 GMT

Former long-term CPM president Larry Koff's letter against closing the Hynes Convention Center is a good read.

The Boston Globe_Death of the Hynes would cap the neglect of a valuable resource_04 27 22.pdf

Reimagining retail for the downtown

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 12 May 2022 17:02:17 GMT

Carol Todreas, CPM members, reimagines retail for the downtown

Read Carol's article

'Right to Return’ to Gentrifying Neighborhoods

Daphne Politis — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 14:40:09 GMT

The City of Austin says it will give people from gentrifying neighborhoods priority in the application process for more than two dozen homes it's selling to low-income families,” reports Audrey McGlinchy for KUT.

“This is the first time the city plans to use what it calls a ‘preference policy,’ which was approved by council members in 2018,” according to McGlincy. Planetizen shared news of the new policy in September 2021, when the city identified a development site for the program. The deployment of the law, originally intended for late 2019, was delayed by the pandemic.

“To benefit from the program, people first need to be making less than Austin's family median income; for a single-person household that amounts to $69,250 a year,” according to McGlinchy. “Additionally, people need to prove they've been affected by gentrification or that they have generational ties to the city. That can mean they live or have lived — as far back as 2000 — in a neighborhood in the process of gentrifying; that's the process in which wealthy people move to a historically middle- or low-income neighborhood and housing costs rise.”

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/04/116839-austin-now-taking-applications-its-right-return-gentrifying-neighborhoods?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04182022&mc_cid=53a1ad4cfc&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

How Japan Built Cities Where You Could Send Your Toddler on an Errand

Daphne Politis — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 02:27:07 GMT

“Roads and street networks are designed for kids to walk in a safe manner,” Kato said. Among the factors, he said: Drivers in Japan are taught to yield to pedestrians. Speed limits are low. Neighborhoods have small blocks with lots of intersections. That means kids have to cross the street a lot—but also keeps drivers going slow, out of self-interest if nothing else.

The streets themselves are also different. Many small streets do not have raised sidewalks but depend on pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers to share the road. Curbside parking is rare, which creates better visibility for drivers and pedestrians and helps give the smaller streets of big Japanese cities their distinctive feel. In fact, I first heard about Hajimete no otsukai from Rebecca Clements, a research fellow at the University of Sydney who has written a dissertation on Japan’s approach to parking: Car-buyers must show proof of an off-street parking space to make their purchase. For Clements, the show is evidence of how Japan gives children a “right to the city....”

https://slate.com/business/2022/04/old-enough-netflix-do-japanese-parents-really-send-toddlers-on-errands.html?via=rss_socialflow_facebook&fbclid=IwAR21j4F6QzDVFY7oErQJFDgrZINxSyQXicqbphsW-a8v8V9tLsZ9EG3kVXY

Two Books and a Play — Creating Architectural Literacy

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 15:48:55 GMT

By Mark Favermann, urban designer, public artist and member of CPM Executive Committee.

Given the current situation, any attempts to enrich our knowledge of the built environment are valuable.

To paraphrase my thoughtful, scholarly friend and colleague Dr. Nir Buras, architectural literacy empowers everyone to engage in what should be a public dialogue about urban design, enabling planners and designers to propose forms that the public can understand and appreciate. At its heart, the urban experience is egalitarian. Everyone should be able to comprehend architectural language and its approaches.

Jaime Lerner Made Your City Better

Daphne Politis — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 13:50:40 GMT

As mayor of an inland city in southern Brazil across three decades, Lerner transformed a metropolis of just under 3 million residents into a thriving, globally famous laboratory of livability. Lerner died this week at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of high-return, low-cost urban innovations that have been copied all over the planet. You live in his kind of city more than you think you do, and in a well-run world that would be even more true.

https://www.curbed.com/2021/05/jaime-lerner-curitiba-mayor-brazil.html?fbclid=IwAR3LipZMtNoMOzxq8qA-Cz1zHbMPspd0kdHQ-NT3uLfkBza1hRhLDOfxarI

Right now in retail

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 16:57:03 GMT

Carol Todreas,

principal at Todreas Hanley Associates and long time CPM member, shares her thoughts on the current state of the retail business.

https://nerej.com/right-now-in-retail-by-carol-todreas

Cambridge new zoning: Shared Electric Vehicle Chargers, private car share programs and micromobility rental

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 19:46:41 GMT

Cambridge is reviewing zoning to allow shared Electric Vehicle Chargers, private car share programs and expanded micromobility rental platforms.

The City of Cambridge has started consideration of a zoning amendment that would allow owners of Electric Vehicle charging stations in residential districts to offer their chargers for rent to people who lack access to their own EV charger. The zoning amendment would also allow individuals to rent their private cars and host micromobility platforms like Bird Scooters in residential districts. All three of these activities are currently illegal in residential districts because they are considered commercial uses that zoning does not allow. The zoning petition will be heard by the Cambridge Planning Board on May 3rd and the Ordinance Committee on May 4th.

Filed by former 7-term Cambridge City Councilor Craig Kelley and called the Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion Mitigation Bill, this zoning petition is a necessary step to meet Cambridge’s stated goal of electrifying personal cars because, as in many urban areas, most Cambridge residents lack access to a dedicated driveway space in which they can charge an EV and public charging spots are very inconvenient. The Bill would also expand the reductions in personal car ownership attributed to car share companies like Zipcar by allowing anyone to rent their vehicle no matter where they live. Platform-based peer-to-peer car share programs like Turo and Getaround already operate throughout America, including in Cambridge, and modifying zoning to meet this reality will help them expand their services. Finally, allowing micromobility platforms to operate in residential districts will create market competition to Blue Bike and help this important personal mobility option expand in dense urban markets.

To learn more about this ground-breaking zoning proposal or to get involved in helping assure its passage, contact CPM member Craig Kelley at Craig@UrbanCoreStrategies.com or read the zoning text here

Planner of the Month: Lynne Sweet

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:56:10 GMT

Consulting Planners of Mass. is excited to continue our Planner of the Month series by featuring long-time CPM member Lynne Sweet. This spotlight on our members enables us to learn more about the important work they are doing as consulting planners, and offers us an opportunity to share some of their insights into many aspects of the planning profession.

Lynne Sweet is the Founder and Principal of LDS Consulting Group, a full-service consulting firm that has been in action for 22 years. She spoke with CPM President Leonardi Aray and shared her experience in market research, land use and permitting, and the affordable housing industry, as well as her own lessons in work-life balance and some positive changes brought by the pandemic. Watch the interview below or refer to the table of contents for a section that interests you.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Table of Contents

- Lynne's intro – 0:00-01:04
- Current projects – 01:05
- How the pandemic has impacted clients' requests – 02:54
- Personal lessons from the pandemic – 05:04
- Tough commentary in public meetings – 06:10
- Zoom vs. in-person public meetings – 07:18
- Lynne's community & favorite areas – 08:29
- Why CPM – 09:15

This interview was recorded in December 2021. Lynne joined CPM's Executive Committee in early 2022 and looks forward to furthering CPM's contributions to the planning community.

If you are interested in suggesting yourself or a fellow CPM member as a future Planner of the Month, please reach out to CPM President Leonardi Aray at leonardi@larayarchitects.com.

Meatpacking District going car-free permanently after COVID test-run

Daphne Politis — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:35:37 GMT

The streets of Manhattan’s touristy Meatpacking District are going car-free forever after Mayor Bill de Blasio closed them and dozens of others to regular car traffic during the height of COVID.

“We see the Meatpacking District as an ideal location to promote and support changes to the public realm that emphasize pedestrians, promote foot traffic for businesses, support outdoor café culture, and allow for more cultural programming on our streets,” BID Director Jeffrey LeFrancois told Time Out New York.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/04/nyc-neighborhood-going-car-free-permanently-after-test-run/?fbclid=IwAR0Ix7oRwrrD4lK3wQ0YPc-1oIFnNh16vh7mkbtQCoCiZ6KgWdYChp-QCsY

CPM Members Inducted as Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 19:23:11 GMT

Consulting Planners of Mass. members Daphne Politis, AICP, principal at Community Circle, and Darrin Punchard, AICP, CFM, principal at Punchard Consulting, are part of the Class of 2022 Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Nominated by their peers, they are recognized and honored for their contributions as a professional planner. The AICP states they "left demonstrably significant and transformational improvements to the field of planning and the communities they served."

Congratulations!

Green Car Parking Garage

Daphne Politis — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:13:10 GMT

Developer has converted an former tobacco industrial building in the Athens area of Piraeus into Greece’s first green car parking area. "Parksmart is a unique rating system in the world that is designed to promote sustainable design and operation of parking structures,”

https://insightsgreece.com/athens-becomes-home-to-greeces-first-green-car-park/?fbclid=IwAR2WJO5yQu3QQqeap7wY6XMSN0dtj7gGseM7qwEEFBBRYBGKCgbNinosJ8sDevelopers

Can Milan Become Europe’s Most Bike-Friendly City?

Daphne Politis — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 15:37:03 GMT

Italy’s most populous metro area will build hundreds of kilometers of protected cycling lanes to ward off worsening pollution from cars and trucks. Reaching from Milan’s core far out into the surrounding countryside, the ambition is to make cycling the first and easiest choice for getting around the Metropolitan City of Milan — a district that includes both the city proper, its suburbs and some of its immediate rural hinterland.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-14/milan-plans-bike-lane-infrastructure-to-rival-paris?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_content=citylab&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1vR1y7sSuEHA4MbEjIWzWRVJSX2mgqMKFflVgorGOZmCO7EGZW70QAdRI

Bee bricks become planning requirement for new buildings in Brighton

Daphne Politis — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 15:56:02 GMT

Brighton & Hove Council's policy stipulates that all new buildings above five metres should include bee bricks, as well as bird nesting boxes suitable for swifts.

These bee bricks are the same size as regular bricks, but integrate a series of narrow openings like those where solitary bees are known to nest.

https://www.dezeen.com/2022/01/24/bee-bricks-planning-requirement-brighton/?fbclid=IwAR0uf8PwzfwGkWFCQccULr2sHxaHaRURzqRWFyr36kYiH1nAaq-GbLEwkQE

CPM Member Julie Eaton Ernst at Donovan Hatem Roundtable on Climate Change Feb. 16

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:29:05 GMT

Climate Change and Design: Integrating Mitigation and Adaptation into your Practice, another great Donovan Hatem LLP Roundtable, is Wed. Feb. 16 at 10:00 am. CPM member Julie Eaton Ernst of Weston & Sampson is featured with Molly Dee-Ramasney from Jaros, Baum & Boles in NYC.

Free online event. Register at

https://www.donovanhatem.com/february-roundtable-climate-change-and-design-integrating-mitigation-and-adaptation-into-your-practice/

More Evidence Upzoning Alone Won't Boost Housing

Daphne Politis — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 19:36:16 GMT

Their analysis found that "a surprising number of other zoning requirements have the potential to interfere with efforts to open more land to multifamily dwellings." These include public hearing requirements that can delay or derail projects, minimum parking requirements, height limits, lot coverage, floor area ratio requirements, and occupancy restrictions. As others have pointed out, upzoning alone doesn't guarantee new construction if demand doesn't exist or other restrictions make development too onerous and expensive.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/01/116001-more-evidence-upzoning-alone-wont-boost-housing?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-01312022&mc_cid=abc2240ea7&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Zoning Reform: Lessons From New Zealand

Daphne Politis — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 19:28:45 GMT

Responding to the rise in housing costs that has affected even remote corners of the world, New Zealand recently passed "sweeping zoning reform legislation" that encourages mid-density housing development. As Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy writes, these reforms provide some valuable lessons for other countries.

The island nation is mandating mid-density zoning requirements and transit-oriented development in an effort to increase housing affordability and encourage compact development.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/01/116004-zoning-reform-lessons-new-zealand?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-01312022&mc_cid=abc2240ea7&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Berlin is planning a car-free area larger than Manhattan

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 20:27:35 GMT

The citizen-driven plan that the city is considering now would create the largest car-free area in a city anywhere in the world.

See Fast Company article, 1/13/22

https://www.fastcompany.com/90711961/berlin-is-planning-a-car-free-area-larger-than-manhattan?partner=rss&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss&fbclid=IwAR0GcemgJ436m4G1RRlMwoGqPz8dVyq4IOv6clSDVJCVNrTVnY4Lf2m_iFA

This is the holiday card of the year from CPM member Horsley Witten Group

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 22:05:34 GMT

Planner of the Month: Jenn Goldson

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 23:07:38 GMT

Starting this fall, Consulting Planners of Mass. is excited to launch our new Planner of the Month spotlight series. We want to learn more about our members and the incredible work they are doing as private sector planners. Each month we will post an interview with a featured CPM member to share what they are up to, as well as some of their insights into the world of consulting planning.

It is our pleasure to present Jenn Goldson, AICP, as our Planner of the Month for October 2021. Jenn is the Founder and Managing Director of the consulting firm JM Goldson and winner of the 2020 APA-MA Comprehensive Planning Award. She sat down with CPM President Leonardi Aray and shared her experience as a certified community planner, as well as her desires for the planning profession. Watch the interview below or refer to the table of contents for a section that interests you.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Table of Contents

Jenn's intro – 00:13
Current projects – 01:11
Book group: How Jenn engages with other planners – 03:47
Who Jenn most admires: Private & public sector planning – 05:45
Diversity: Changes Jenn has observed in planning – 06:42
The pandemic: Best planning practices Jenn has seen – 07:46
Jenn's community & a favorite spot – 10:30
Why CPM – 11:22
Closing slides – 12:32

To learn more about Jenn's community planning book group, visit jmgoldson.com/book-group.

If you are interested in suggesting yourself or a fellow CPM member as a future Planner of the Month, please reach out to CPM President Leonardi Aray at leonardi@larayarchitects.com.

The Retail Landscape: Ever-adapting by Carol Todreas

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 13:26:51 GMT

CPM member Carol Todreas notes that the retail sector is still in a mode of customer discovery. Consulting Planners can read Carol’s findings and examples at “The retail landscape: Ever-adapting” published on the New England Real Estate Journal.

Carol Todreas is a long-time member of Consulting Planners of Massachusetts and a principal at Todreas Hanley Associates, Cambridge, Mass.

MassHousing 'Healthy and Affordable Homes' Sept. 9

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 21:23:36 GMT

The 2021 Neighborhood Symposium will bring together professionals from housing, public health, government and other fields for a series of in-depth conversations on topics of particular interest for Massachusetts' 26 Gateway Cities.

This kickoff session, Healthy and Affordable Homes, starts at 10:00 a.m.

See full four-session symposium lineup and register at https://masshousing.com/programs-outreach/neighborhood-hub/symposium-2021

The Look of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: A Visual Arts Commentary by CPM Member Mark Favermann

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 23:42:26 GMT

Mark Favermann, urban designer, public artist, CPM member and designer of CPM's new logo, recently published a commentary on the visual branding of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Arts Fuse. In the article he discusses the design process of the Tokyo Olympics' official logo and supporting imagery, and comments on the largely uninspiring results.

"Dull, flat, and boring, with no discernible personality, the Olympics 2020 graphics made no impact on anyone other than, perhaps, their creator/developers and maybe a (very) few members of the host committee." Favermann writes.

Favermann, who worked on the visual design of the 1996 Centennial Games in Atlanta, also reviews the history of Olympic graphic designs throughout the past century. He explains, "the 'Look of the Games' is seen to be a strategic part of Olympic planning," offering a view of the complex development process that involves commissioning an official logo, designing sports-specific images, creating supplemental signage for venues and streetscapes, and navigating local and group politics.

Read the full commentary on Arts Fuse. Mark Favermann is Associate Editor of The Arts Fuse and publishes articles regularly.

Keeping History Above Water: Salem - Sept. 13 & 14 (free)

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 21:50:57 GMT

The City of Salem, Salem Preservation Partners and the Newport Restoration Foundation are hosting a two-day workshop Sept. 13 and 14 on addressing climate change impacts to historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods.

This two-day workshop will include both in-person and live-streamed events. Keynote address by Erin Minnigan of the Preservation Society of Charleston on adaptation strategies used in Charlestown to protect its history and culture. See the program schedule at https://historyabovewater.org/2021-salem/ and sign up to attend in person (first come, first served) or virtually. FREE.

Where: Morse Auditorium, Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., Salem, or virtual.

Register: https://historyabovewater.org/2021-salem/

7/28 Webinar: Community Engagement Post Pandemic: Lessons

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 16:01:20 GMT

To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsdOqsqTsoHNOYhs1ylc-5sXCmiVP0XJF3

Questions? Email us at communications@apa-ma.org One CM Credit Available

Remote Public Meetings Allowed Until April 22 & Other End of Pandemic Extensions Enacted by the Baker-Polito Administration

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 20:31:54 GMT

On Wednesday, June 16th, 2021, the Governor Charlie Baker signed An Act Relative to Extending Certain COVID-19 Measures Adopted During the State of Emergency. Several key provisions of the bill are listed are below; for more detail, visit the recent blog post on NAIOPma.org.

State and local public entities can conduct remote public meetings until April 20, 2022, extending remote public meeting legislation that expired after midnight on June 15th.

As a reminder: Advisory committees, planning subcommittees and other non-official public bodies are not required to follow the same legislation when it comes to holding public meetings; they will be able to continue holding meetings in whatever format they prefer beyond the extension outlined in this act.

Notarization procedures can remain remote through December 15, 2021. These provisions were set to expire three days after the end of the State of Emergency.
Current residential evictions procedures were extended:

If the tenancy is being terminated for (i) the non-payment of rent for a residential dwelling unit, (ii) the non-payment of rent due to financial hardship related to or exacerbated by the COVID-19 emergency, or (iii) the defendant demonstrates a pending application for short-term emergency rental assistance, the court shall grant a continuance for a period as the court may deem just and reasonable, through April 1, 2022.

Landlord notification requirements relating to the issuance of a Notice to Quit, as well as a report detailing all activities of the Governor's Eviction Diversion Initiatives will be submitted through January 1, 2023.

Special permits related to outdoor dinging were extended through April 21, 2022.

To-go wine, beer and cocktail sales were extended through May 1, 2022. Additionally, all takeout and delivery drinks must be sold at the same price as those consumed on-site.

Post-State of Emergency State Permitting Guidance Issued

Following the declaration of the State of Emergency in March 2020, Governor Baker issued COVID-19 Order No. 42, Order Resuming State Permitting Deadlines and Continuing to Extend the Validity of Certain State Permits. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development have now issued guidance to clarify how Order 42 will apply to state permits after the end of the State of Emergency.

Berkeley votes for historic housing change: an end to single-family zoning

Daphne Politis — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:38:11 GMT

The unanimous vote kickstarts a 2-year-long process which would see about 9,000 more housing units at various income levels built over the next several years.

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2021/03/25/berkeley-single-family-zoning-city-council-general-plan-change

Boston to Pilot Free Transit Passes for Workers in Commercial Districts

Daphne Politis — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:01:07 GMT

The city of Boston will undertake an experiment about how to center public transit as an economic recovery tool.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/112813?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04052021&mc_cid=dfe9c9f251&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Can Mall Redevelopment 'Urbanize the Suburbs'?

Daphne Politis — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:58:27 GMT

Local leaders in Virginia are banking on mall redevelopment projects to revive their tax bases and create more mixed-use neighborhoods.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/112814?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04052021&mc_cid=dfe9c9f251&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Streets that put people first, not cars

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:34:03 GMT

"Cities around the world are reconfiguring their urban grids to support local communities and economies. Boston should do it too.

OVER THE PAST YEAR COVID-19 HAS FORCED DRAMATIC CHANGES in our communities, especially when it comes to outdoor public places. Gyms moved fitness classes into parks. Retailers found new opportunities for "sidewalk sales." Restaurants claimed parking spaces and roadways for outdoor dining service. And in the process, we've sensed how much better our cities and local economies can be after the pandemic.

We hear less traffic on city streets and are exposed to lower levels of harmful pollutants. And we’ve gained an entirely new way of thinking about space in our cities and towns."

https://apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/graphics/2021/03/superblocks/

Social Space, Physical Distance

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:28:21 GMT

"One of the things Lynne Peskoe-Yang, a science writer who lives in Tarrytown, New York, misses about life before social distancing is working from one of the two coffee shops in her town. In fact, now that she's stuck at home, she sometimes plays an eight-hour YouTube video of ambient coffee shop noises while she works. She says it helps...pending most of our days inside our homes, we could be almost anywhere. And yet, where we live — and the public spaces we use to connect with our communities — still matters, maybe even more now than ever. "

https://www.planning.org/planning/2020/jul/social-space-physical-distance/

Black History Month: Letter from a Region in My Mind

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:14:07 GMT

“Whatever white people do not know about Negroes reveals, precisely and inexorably, what they do not know about themselves.”

By James Baldwin

November 9, 1962

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/11/17/letter-from-a-region-in-my-mind?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Classics_Sunday_HEU_022821&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9d5683f92a40469e3b675&cndid=53789725&hasha=e7fe6adf96fb1cbd195cfa6c519815ba&hashb=a637dd18e2e0893e5470bf47e9a249a5448805d4&hashc=078ee6deb2341328a25372bdbeeaa21df7a090fa3a8b0ef5b6c3ce9f8246904c&esrc=&mbid=mbid%3DCRMNYR012019&utm_term=TNY_Classics

Two Stories From 2020: Which Is True?

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:10:52 GMT

Have all cities lost people due to COVID-19, or just a few high-cost ones?

There have been many, many stories about a decline in demand for urban housing* caused by the COVID-19 recession. Because many people can work for home, they no longer need to live in expensive downtowns. As a result, rents in midtown Manhattan and urban San Francisco have plunged. One possible interpretation of these facts is that the 2020s will be like the 1970s, when cities declined and suburbs exploded. Another interpretation is that the most expensive cities are losing people, but that cheaper cities are doing no worse than usual. Which story is supported by the data?

https://www.planetizen.com/node/112426?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-03012021&mc_cid=b8460f7015&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

How to Fix Racist Housing Policies: Sue the Suburbs

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:09:20 GMT

Strengthening U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's civil rights enforcement could send a powerful signal to communities resistant to changing discriminatory housing rules.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/112381?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-03012021&mc_cid=b8460f7015&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Post-Covid, Transit Agencies Must Look Beyond Ridership

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 02:02:08 GMT

With commuters grounded and passenger numbers likely to remain low in U.S. cities, public transportation leaders should focus on a different metric for usefulness: transit access.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-16/post-covid-transit-needs-a-new-metric-for-success?cmpid=BBD021621_CITYLAB&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=210216&utm_campaign=citylabdaily&mkt_tok=MzA4LVRMVy00MjUAAAF7nPE9cJat-fDKKjWckfgM6DkzgQKoUPXsVH3cKyBC1jrE2Lee9_zIMnKUEwdemY9Q9CHBnCIfrmmGPw5nFrX_bAfHrZydboAjQlyRYfY

Before and after: how the 2011 earthquake changed Christchurch

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 01:59:15 GMT

“I don’t know whether it’s a post-disaster thing,” Dalziel says. “But for me, it’s sometimes hard to remember what was there before.”

Many Christchurch residents say the same. Their home has undergone enormous transformation in the past 10 years after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed 185 people, disrupted tens of thousands of lives and reduced 80% of the city centre to rubble.

Today, the streets of Christchurch are bustling, following a period of sustained construction: first, commercial development of glass-fronted office blocks and high-end retail space – and then civic and cultural buildings, which were either restored or replaced.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/22/before-and-after-how-the-2011-earthquake-changed-christchurch?mkt_tok=MzA4LVRMVy00MjUAAAF7nPE9cMkRez419C9NgdH7NkB9L6M5Qi0JA2suE0a8Mh3REEDqunvVTZVfyohtj-mt0hJSrdaVb6wqlkmUT66ntUx33oGmUACHZ6yqPTs

Lessons from 'I am Not Your Negro' & how to do something about racial inequities

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 23:31:19 GMT

The Winter 2021 issue of Mass. APA Planning magazine features Mass-ACP review of "I am Not Your Negro" film and panel discussion sponsored by Mass-ACP and seven things planners can do to advance racial justice.

See pp. 12 and 13 https://www.apa-ma.org/2021/02/02/massachusetts-planning-winter-2021/

Two Public Art Projects in Boston.

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 21:41:01 GMT

Public Art is very different from studio art. The artist is not creating art for themselves, but expressly creating work for the public with particular attention to the environment where it will be placed.

Mark Favermann, long time member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planners. Check www.favermanndesign.com and read one of Mark's articles here:

https://artsfuse.org/221005/visual-arts-review-two-public-art-projects-in-boston-provocative-visual-expressions-of-the-21st-century/

Jane Jacobs lecture Nov. 17: Sustainability in Urban Communities

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 21:04:38 GMT

Jane Jacobs Lecture: Sustainability in Urban Communities

David Queeley is the director of eco-innovation for the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation working to combine neighborhood scale sustainability, transit-oriented development, renewable energy, waste reduction, and climate preparedness through resilience.

The Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics at Boston College Jane Jacobs Lecture series explores the challenges of political and community leadership in the urban context. Speakers are selected for expertise and practice creating diverse and vital communities, particularly in urban areas.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020
6:00 PM | Via Zoom | Registration is required.

Digital Media - Public Art Is a Bridge to Our New Normal

Leonardi Aray — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 16:29:12 GMT

From Mass-ACP member Mark Favermann:

https://artsfuse.org/211932/visual-arts-commentary-digital-media-public-art-is-a-bridge-to-our-new-normal/

Planning for a Post-COVID downtown in Small Cities

Leonardi Aray — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 16:07:32 GMT

Mass-ACP member Jeff Levine, city planner and MIT researcher, explains:

"And all those apartments and houses downtown? ... if some of the changes we've seen from COVID-19 become permanent, they'll be invaluable for keeping those areas vibrant.

...What some cities have been doing in terms of encouraging housing downtown is a huge plus,...Local businesses need more disposable income nearby than they used to in order to survive. Looking at those areas that used to be offices above retail and really encouraging them to convert to residential I generally see as a good thing - particularly if we keep having a lot more remote working. Those offices are harder to rent as office space in the future."

https://www.mainepublic.org/post/planners-look-future-pandemic-transforms-maines-downtowns

How the Gowanus Rezoning Could Push NYC Forward on Racial Equity

Daphne Politis — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 15:27:18 GMT

"The proposed Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning asks a whiter, wealthier community to absorb new growth in order to create new, permanent affordability in a high-opportunity neighborhood with strong transit access."

https://citylimits.org/2020/09/21/opinion-how-the-gowanus-rezoning-could-push-nyc-forward-on-racial-equity/

Behind the Accidentally Resilient Design of Athens Apartments

Daphne Politis — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 17:57:43 GMT

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-15/the-design-history-of-athens-iconic-apartments?srnd=citylab-design&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1RJMU5tVTBaVFZtTkdNdyIsInQiOiJ5STlNamloSWQwRzFteDNLc21OK0V5a3dXZkpPUlwvZEl3RFhxXC9KSTRqN2hoOVVMb25zdzBwSGhNWlpLYlZ1THpnXC8wNkp2WjdxRCtRQ29zN0VhckVkazBaU0NENE05U2kzdkZSeUIzbTZXXC9cLzJQaGNZQlwvRjhGQXVpblhKcnZ5VyJ9&fbclid=IwAR0rXA0uoQhANm7QQIBz2a66jvoNFTQEcXuCAEHyhx3BdSPzGcujYQrSadM

Segregated parks linked to higher COVID-19 deaths for Black and Latino Americans

Daphne Politis — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 17:55:10 GMT

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/22/covid-outbreak-park-access-barrier-black-latino-communities/3291907001/

Book Review: “Urban Legends: The South Bronx in Representation and Ruin”

Leonardi Aray — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 15:53:17 GMT

Peter L’Official has written an important book that speaks with powerful relevance to the state of Black life in America today — and the demands of Black Lives Matter.

https://artsfuse.org/210282/book-review-urban-legends-the-south-bronx-in-representation-and-ruin-naked-city/

Mark Favermann, long time member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planner

The Boston Globe 8/17: How to get ahead of the next housing downturn

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:56:13 GMT

The public needs to take a lesson from the private sector and capitalize on the downturn in real estate in order to guarantee affordable housing.

OPINION By David M. Abromowitz

We’ve been here in the real estate cycle before. In the early 1990s, a banking crisis combined with a real estate recession led to tens of thousands of rental units going into foreclosure. As the Resolution Trust Corporation began disposing $450 billion worth of real estate from collapsed savings banks, up for grabs was the fate of thousands of apartment buildings across the country.

Despite advocates pressing to turn these assets into affordable rental housing, hurdles in the system resulted in relatively few properties increasing the supply of permanently affordable housing. Instead, cash-rich for-profit investors moved nimbly to buy apartments from the public at a deep discount and later flipped them for a significant profit. Tens of billions of dollars in public investment into failed savings loans could have been converted into meaningful housing stock, but the opportunity was largely missed.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/17/opinion/how-get-ahead-next-housing-downturn/

New York Times 7/20: The Pandemic Has Pushed Aside City Planning Rules. But to Whose Benefit?

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:20:23 GMT

Read this

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/20/upshot/pandemic-city-planning-inequality.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

Tufts University, Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Field Projects

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:36:06 GMT

Each spring, first-year Masters students in the Tufts Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning (UEP) must complete the Field Projects course, where students work in teams of 3-5 on projects hosted by real-world partners. We invite you to propose a project idea for the Spring 2021 Field Projects course.

To submit a project idea, please email a brief (half-page to a page) description by September 8, 2020 to Penn Loh (penn.loh@tufts.edu).

Field Projects host doc 2021.pdf

To see what past UEP Field Projects teams have accomplished, take a look at recent projects, which are posted online at: https://as.tufts.edu/uep/community/field-projects

“Placemaking”: Thoughts on the Virus and Our Current Public Environment

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:27:01 GMT

Making a place is not the same as designing and developing a building, public plaza, or even a commercial district. It is not just a physical place: it is a process whose purpose is to authentically satisfy people.

https://artsfuse.org/206686/visual-arts-commentary-placemaking-thoughts-on-the-virus-and-our-current-public-environment/

Mark Favermann, long time member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planner

Opinion: Want to tear down insidious monuments to racism and segregation? Bulldoze L.A. freeways

Daphne Politis — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 15:42:52 GMT

"Across the country, Confederate monuments are tumbling. Museums are stripping effigies of racist presidents past. Here in Los Angeles, indigenous activists toppled a statue of Junipero Serra, a canonized saint who founded the mission system that enslaved and brutalized generations of California Indians into abandoning their traditions.

The aftermath of George Floyd’s death while in police custody has created a moment for radical truth-telling. So here’s some ugly truth about the city of Los Angeles: Our freeway system is one of the most noxious monuments to racism and segregation in the country.

Most Angelenos don’t think about it as we spew carbon monoxide across the city on our way from Point A to Point B, but our toxic exhaust fumes feed into a pot of racism that’s been stewing for nearly a century. To understand exactly how that works, you have to know what things were like here before freeways came to dominate L.A.’s landscape.

Los Angeles was never a paradise of racial acceptance, but in 1910 some 36% of L.A.’s African Americans were homeowners (compared with 2.4% in New York City) — tops in the nation. L.A.’s comprehensive Red Car transit system, which offered easy, unsegregated access to the region’s growing economic opportunities, was fundamental to this success. Integrated, racially diverse neighborhoods like Watts and Boyle Heights emerged and thrived along these transit corridors.

When the 1944 Federal-Aid Highway Act allocated funds for 1,938 miles of freeways in California, planners used the opportunity, with full federal support, to obliterate as much as possible the casual mingling of the races."

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-06-24/bulldoze-la-freeways-racism-monument

Planning Webcast Series: Slow Streets

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 03:50:09 GMT

Speeding Up Slow Street Projects

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/256658307463143437

APA MA Slow Streets Flyer.pdf

Black community braces for next threat: Mass evictions

Daphne Politis — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:58:57 GMT

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/12/mass-evictions-314699

A new tremor is threatening to shake minority communities as protests over racial injustice sweep the country: A wave of evictions as a federal moratorium on kicking people out of their rental units expires.

The ban on evictions — which applies to rentals that are backed by the government — expires in a matter of weeks. On top of that, the federal boost to unemployment benefits that many laid-off workers have used to pay their rent is set to end July 31.

New data on state’s coronavirus cases, deaths show stark racial divide

Daphne Politis — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 19:17:05 GMT

The breakdown shows that the virus has significantly and disproportionately hit Black and Hispanic communities.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/19/nation/new-data-states-coronavirus-cases-deaths-show-stark-racial-divide/?et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=globesmostpopular%3Anewsletter&et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=globesmostpopular%3Anewsletter

Book Review: The Art of Classic Planning

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 21:29:59 GMT

...the Seaport Neighborhood is anyplace USA, filled with rather charmless glass and polished metal high-rises that are nearly all at the same height...

Mark Favermann, long time member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planners. Check www.favermanndesign.com and read one of Mark's articles here:

https://artsfuse.org/199110/book-review-the-art-of-classic-planning-how-to-build-beautiful-and-enduring-communities/

What’s on the other side of this pandemic?

Leonardi Aray — Sun, 31 May 2020 18:09:13 GMT

"This is where community planners can be your biggest asset, your new best friend.."

Jenn Goldson, AICP, member of the Massachusetts Association of Consulting Planners

http://www.jmgoldson.com/posts/2020/5/31/whats-on-the-other-side-of-this-pandemic

Seeing Architectural Details and History in a Time of Covid-19 - By Mark Favermann

Leonardi Aray — Wed, 20 May 2020 02:00:39 GMT

In the Era of Coronavirus one of the few opportunities to be liberated from our shelter-in-place mandate is to go for a walk — as long as we wear a surgical mask and don’t go near anyone.

Mark Favermann, long time member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planner

https://artsfuse.org/200930/visual-arts-feature-a-walk-in-the-city-seeing-architectural-details-and-history-in-a-time-of-covid-19/

Retail will prevail - by Carol Todreas

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 11 May 2020 17:48:49 GMT

"We are in transition and will be so for at least the next 30 months"

Carol Todreas, a longtime member of the Mass. Association of Consulting Planners

https://nerej.com/retail-will-prevail-by-carol-todreas

What is the role of urban planners during the coronavirus pandemic?

Daphne Politis — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 15:33:18 GMT

"The urban planning field, like so many professions during the age of Coronavirus, is having an existential crisis. To most planners, fights over community plans, housing, and transportation projects seem trivial amidst a pandemic that could kill millions and bring down the global economy. The work of planners may seem unimportant right now, especially when compared to the life or death work of the medical profession, but it does have a role to play during this period."

https://abundanthousingla.org/what-is-the-role-of-urban-planners-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Some Denver streets will close to cars, giving people who walk and bike more elbow room during the coronavirus pandemic

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 14:15:31 GMT

“The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will be announcing today roads that will be closed to really encourage people to get outdoors and feel safe walking and biking and enjoying outdoors with the proper physical, distancing.

The closures are temporary, but Jill Locantore, head of the Denver Streets Partnership, sees an opportunity to show the public what “people-first streets” can do.

“This is basically a huge tactical urbanism project where we can temporarily demonstrate different uses for our streets and allow people to experience that,” Locantore said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to think about whether some of these changes should be made more permanent. Do we actually think our streets are functioning better this way and could continue to function this way even after we emerge from the crisis?”

https://denverite.com/2020/04/03/some-denver-streets-will-go-car-free-giving-people-who-walk-and-bike-more-elbow-room-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Brian Barber, MACP founding member, dies

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 13:41:05 GMT

Brian Barber, renowned planner, teacher, adviser, mentor, and friend, died in Florida recently at age 82. Please read this obituary that says so much about what Brian did for the planning community. A memorial service in the Boston area will be held in late spring.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/wickedlocal-lexington/obituary.aspx?pid=195193718

The Dots of Connectivity and Broken Cultural Links

Daphne Politis — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:04:43 GMT

"Connectivity is not just a question of geometry... It's critical to consider what people connect for and how....the question of context: who the links are for and what they link to..."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/108924?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04022020&mc_cid=dc23bc15cc&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

How Coronavirus Will Change Cities, From Public to Private Lives

Daphne Politis — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:59:29 GMT

"Changes are coming, but they don't have to be anti-urban, and they could mean a more resilient world for cities and communities of all shapes and sizes...list of predicted changes in cities and the world after the pandemic is over:

A renewed focus on public health
More sophisticated urban design
Fewer retail stores and a different kind of street life"

https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/2020/03/26/what-our-cities-will-look-after-coronavirus-pandemic

Kathleen McCabe Inducted into FAICP

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 15:17:44 GMT

MACP member Kathleen McCabe, president of McCabe Enterprises, specialists in community development, was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows (FAICP)!

Honor Fair Housing Month

Leonardi Aray — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 17:59:23 GMT

CHAPA Breakfast Forum: Fair Housing Beyond the Law

https://mailchi.mp/chapa/fair-housing-beyond-the-law?e=711fd55b0c

Lego Neglects Space for Bike Lanes

Daphne Politis — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 18:54:49 GMT

A Dutch advocate believes Lego's city sets should reflect streets that prioritize all users. Including bike lanes would be one way for the toy manufacturer to start accomplishing that goal.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/108507?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-02272020&mc_cid=cc2c949667&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Allan Hodges, FAICP, and retired MACP member "In the Spotlight"!

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:10:26 GMT

Read this fascinating and instructional short interview with Allan Hodges, FAICP, who was the Director of Planning at Parsons Brinckerhoff (now WSP) during most of his 50-year planning career. This appeared in Mass. APA Feb. Communications e-mail.

https://www.apa-ma.org/2020/02/03/apa-ma-spotlight-series-alan-hodges-faicp/

Twenty Twenty: Now what? by Carol Todreas

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 22:25:40 GMT

If in this new year of the new decade you are shaky about retail, you are right on. Headlines range from apocalypse to renaissance and everything in between. Be it AI technology, consumer demographics, or Amazon’s potential drone deliveries, it’s information overload and then what? Here is what is happening:

There are now three generations of shoppers: Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z-ers. They each have different lifestyles, but each has expressed a desire to shop in physical stores albeit they make uncomplicated purchases conveniently online.

For other retail purchases these consumers prefer to buy in physical stores with human interaction, much of which comes from trained sales help or shopping with friends and family. “Back in the day” consumers shopped to accumulate goods at low prices. Today values have changed and consumers want a feel-good experience; otherwise, its home to click.

This means retailers have to know their customers, greet and meet them personally and know their shopping desires. Merchandise has to be selective and arranged creatively. The space has to be welcoming and warm. Amenities might include sofas and coffee, and above all shoppers want to touch, feel, and talk about the goods. The store becomes a laboratory to explore customer reaction and satisfaction with goods, services, and ambience. The store is also a flexible space capable of transformation as needs and habits change over time.

The future of retailers who understand the new order and adapt their concepts is bright since there is demand. Redoing has started with some department stores for selected urban locations: Target with smaller focused stores and Nordstrom with it’s trial of specialized stores.

Regarding specialty retailers, Lululemon(Newbury St.) takes customer experience to the next level. The second floor has a café with tables for laptop work, comfortable seating, studio space for Yoga and Meditation classes, showers and dressing rooms. It’s as if the merchandise on the first floor is simply a complement to upstairs…a convenience in case you forgot your yoga gear.

New generation retailers from the internet keep appearing. Some are direct-to-consumer stores; e.g., Bonobos, men’s apparel: others are just market-right, like LEGIT (Chestnut Hill) unique athleisure apparel. In New York and Los Angeles new concepts are constantly debuting that with success expand to major markets nationwide.

The take away: We have entered a new retail era , one without a formula except to cater to the customer. Its neither a boom nor a renaissance, but a thoughtful and artful return to rebuilding an industry.

Carol Todreas is a principal at Todreas Hanley Associates, Cambridge, Mass. and a member of the Massachusetts Association of Consulting Planners.

This article first appeared in the New England Real Estate Journal

https://nerej.com/twentytwenty-now-what-by-carol-todreas

Danvers Remakes its Downtown

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 19:21:13 GMT

The Salem News reported that Danvers voted overwhelmingly to rezone the downtown and High Street corridor south of Porter Street to Rte. 128.

"It will create predictability with development for the next 30 years and I urge you to support it," said Dan Bennett, chairman of the Board of Selectman. The extensive new rules and design guidelines would ensure that development would not go on in a vacuum as it has in the past.

Planning Board Chairman Bill Prentiss said the work over the past 18 months by the Planning Board and the Planning Department, and its consultant Ted Brovitz, was a continuation of an effort started in 2006 to look at industrial areas in and around the downtown that date back to the original zoning code of 1946."

Read The Salem News article Danvers remakes its downtown

Success is killing San Francisco. Is Boston next?

Daphne Politis — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 17:36:00 GMT

"Greater Boston is thriving... Can Greater Boston reap the rewards of a booming economy without sacrificing the people who are just trying to live there?"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/01/29/magazine/success-is-killing-san-francisco-is-boston-next/?et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=globesmostpopular%3Anewsletter&et_rid=1767609057&s_campaign=globesmostpopular%3Anewsletter

Best and Worst Transit Cities 2019

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:41:22 GMT

WalletHub ranked 100 U.S. cities across three dimensions: accessibility and convenience, safety and reliability, and public transit resources. You may be surprised at Boston's rank.

Reprinted in Metro mag: https://www.metro-magazine.com/management-operations/news/735547/2019-s-cities-with-the-best-and-worst-public-transportation?utm_source=email&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_campaign=20200117-NL-MET-Trending-BOBCD200111008&omdt=NL-MET-Trending&omid=1102541393&oly_enc_id=9241D0898712E7T

Nostalgia Tech by Mark Favermann, MassACP member

Leonardi Aray — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:22:55 GMT

Boston Cyberarts Gallery usually leans toward the future. In this exhibition, curators Mark Favermann, Keaton Fox, and George Fifield look to technologies of yesteryear, spotlighting contemporary works in art and design intended to provoke marvel, which are mechanical or animated by natural phenomena such as gravity and wind.

Through Feb. 16. Boston Cyberarts Gallery, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain. 617-524-2109, www.bostoncyberarts.org

PESEROS: THE VAST PRIVATE BUS NETWORK OF MEXICO CITY

Daphne Politis — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 01:09:37 GMT

"It seems to be an article of faith among some urban planners that transit can’t be private. If it’s to serve poor demographics and remote areas, the thinking goes, it needs heavy public planning and subsidization. But that view turns out to be parochial. Cities worldwide—including in the US—have proven that with the right conditions, private transit can flourish. It often does so in spite of attempts by the government itself to shut these services down."

https://marketurbanismreport.com/blog/peseros-the-vast-private-bus-network-of-mexico-city?fbclid=IwAR18JtxXFVv_GkfmUxwfJRjET2vn0MsGd-kUZBH3baxEEqXNOMT_sEb4NtM

10 Years of Transformation: 6 Ways Planning Changed in the 2010s

Daphne Politis — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:51:16 GMT

1. From NIMBY to YIMBY

2. Mitigation and Adaptation

3. Tactical Urbanism

4. Social Equity in Planning

5. Shared Cities

6. The Era of Big Data

https://www.planning.org/blog/9192292/10-years-of-transformation-6-ways-planning-changed-in-2010s/

Milwaukee Updates Zoning Code to Encourage Walkability

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:01:29 GMT

The city of Milwaukee will require new commercial developments to include a 15-foot "street frontage zone" to encourage walking.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/107689?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12192019&mc_cid=43c2f08163&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Jane Jacobs vs. The Power Brokers (a wonderful cartoon)

Daphne Politis — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:44:02 GMT

"How the patron saint of progressive urban planning’s ideas and ideals were implemented - and corrupted."

https://thenib.com/jane-jacobs-vs-the-power-brokers

2019 Bicycle Friendly States Rankings Released

Daphne Politis — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 21:04:13 GMT

"The Pacific Northwest is leading the way for bicycle safety at the state level, according to the latest report from the League of American Bicyclists."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/107489?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12052019&mc_cid=a99aa219f5&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

LYNN CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO FUND TWO PLANNERS

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 22:05:11 GMT

https://www.itemlive.com/2019/12/03/lynn-city-council-votes-to-fund-two-planners/

What would a city designed by women be like?

Daphne Politis — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 01:15:15 GMT

"Cities are supposed to be built for all of us, but they aren't built by all of us.

Every city in the world has been designed and built by men. But what if the other half had a go?

Barcelona might be able to give us that answer.

For the past four years the city has had a female mayor with a profoundly feminist agenda.

We spoke to feminists working in urban planning in the city to find out what they think needs to change to make cities better for women."

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-50269778/what-would-a-city-designed-by-women-be-like

Planners Soliciting Ideas For Upgraded Bike and Walking

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:22:39 GMT

Planners Soliciting Ideas For Upgraded Bike and Walking Routes Across Downtown Boston

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2019/11/12/planners-soliciting-ideas-for-upgraded-bike-and-walking-routes-across-downtown-boston/

Celebrate WalkBoston 10/2/2019

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:01:43 GMT

https://walkboston.org/events/walk-with-us/

All proceeds benefit the newly-created Walking-Around Money Fund. This fund will underwrite work in communities throughout Massachusetts, enabling WalkBoston to address pressing issues of pedestrian safety and equitable transportation.

What: “Walk with Us: A Celebration of Leadership”
When: October 2, 2019 6-8PM
Where: Society of Arts and Crafts, 100 Pier Four Boulevard #200, Boston, MA 02210
Cost: $150 – Beer, wine + food included with your ticket

The Landscape Of Despair: How Our Cities And Towns Are Killing Us

Daphne Politis — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 14:02:57 GMT

"Most public space in America is devoted simply to the movement and storage of cars. The highway is a hostile environment for humans and few people seek camaraderie or stimulation in the parking lots. The ambiguous leftover scraps of land, like the woodsy berm between the Walmart and the Best Buy, have no civic value. (That’s where kids go to drink malt-liquor.) Everything else is private space, including the shopping mall, by the way, where you can be arrested for making a speech, or just wearing a T-shirt with a provocative message. Public space per se has been relegated insidiously to TV and the Internet, and neither of these are an adequate replacement for real-live social relations with other human beings in a real place worth caring about."

https://dailycaller.com/2019/09/03/cities-towns-landscape-despair/?fbclid=IwAR3JuFnjeDHOpMvzCsGn0Igd25PiWNio-30KlxbJK690bQSfFWixn-D4Zik

New research topics regarding urban issues: 2019

Daphne Politis — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 16:59:37 GMT

"Penn IUR is invested in supporting and encouraging a new generation of urban scholars who are identifying and pursuing research questions related to urbanization. For this month’s issue of Urban Link, we interviewed recent PhDs—Emerging Scholars, who are a few years into their careers, as well as Spring 2019 degree recipients—on issues they are pursuing in their research."

https://penniur.upenn.edu/publications/new-ideas-in-urban-research-2019-research-questions-and-findings-from-penn-iurs-emerging-scholars-and-2019-doctoral-recipients

Gov. Baker Proposes 10-yr. Transportation Bond

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 18:56:33 GMT

Gov. Baker proposes $18 B in spending over 10 years for transportation. The Bond Bill also includes efforts to ease the involvement of the private sector in financing and building transportation facilities.

TBB Section by Section FINAL.PDF

Transp Bond Bill 2019.pdf

Memorial service for Carol Thomas, MACP founding member, July 13 at 1:00 pm

Daphne Politis — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:45:36 GMT

MACP founding member Carol Thomas, FAICP, the first woman to be president of AICP, will be remembered and her life celebrated at a memorial service in Boston on Sat., July 13 at 1:00 pm. Carol died in March at age 95. The service will be at the First Church Boston, corner of Marlborough and Berkeley streets.

CHAPA Seeking New Municipal Engagement Initiative Communities

Daphne Politis — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 19:37:37 GMT

Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is seeking 2-3 additional communities under our Municipal Engagement Initiative. Municipal governments and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth are encouraged to apply.

CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement Initiative helps communities build support for affordable housing production across the Commonwealth. CHAPA's Municipal Engagement staff works with municipalities and community groups on public education efforts in support of housing production efforts, with an emphasis on increasing affordable housing. Context-sensitive strategies will be developed.

Applicants must submit an electronic application to Dana LeWinter, Director of Municipal Engagement, at dlewinter@chapa.org by 5 PM on Thurs., August 8, 2019. To learn more about the Initiative and to obtain an application, please go to CHAPA's Municipal Engagement Initiative webpage.

Dateline New York: what makes a city a great place to work?

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 12:20:50 GMT

The tenth anniversary edition of the WORKTECH New York conference featured an expert panel discussing how the city has changed in the past ten years –revealing four pillars of the urban experience that shape work and life

Just released! The State of Zoning for Multi-Family Housing In Greater Boston

Daphne Politis — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 21:41:21 GMT

Just released: New research on local zoning and permitting for multi-family housing in Greater Boston was just released by the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance and six other organizations. Researcher Amy Dain examined regulations, plans and production in 100 cities and towns surrounding Boston. The report outlines barriers in the form of policies and practices restricting housing production.

Study sponsors: Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of Realtors, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, MassHousing, and Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

https://ma-smartgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/03/FINAL_Multi-Family_Housing_Report.pdf

BSC Group is looking to add a planner

Leonardi Aray — Fri, 17 May 2019 22:31:55 GMT

BSC Group is looking to add a planner to our growing planning practice in our Worcester office. 5-10 years of experience. Opportunity to work on a variety of projects in a fun and supportive work environment. Please check-out our posting at:

https://www.bscgroup.com/careers/opportunities/planner/

Lecturer in Transportation Planning Job Announcement - MIT

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 12:24:23 GMT

The Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invites applications for a part-time lecturer in Transportation Planning. Initial appointment will be for two years with the potential for appointment extension. The appointment will begin in September 2019 or January 2020.

The Department seeks a dynamic, creative, experienced teacher with a record as a practicing professional in transportation planning. The position requires teaching two to three courses per year, participating in departmental committees, and serving as an academic and thesis advisor to students enrolled in the Master of City Planning program. The person hired will teach transportation planning skills and methods in workshop settings, and transportation/mobility subjects related to reflection on practice and theory (e.g. land use and transportation planning), through seminars and lectures.

Minimum Qualifications: A graduate (master) professional degree in urban planning, transportation, or related field is required; a PhD is desirable but not required. Minimum 3 years professional experience in transportation planning; prior teaching experience in professional development or at a graduate level; ability to teach in a cross disciplinary and dynamic setting that supports planners, designers and engineers.

Application Instructions: Applications should be submitted through the interfolio website:

http://apply.interfolio.com/61935

A complete application package includes: A cover letter summarizing expertise, professional approach to design, and courses the candidate is prepared to teach; a curriculum vita; examples of professional work and/or teaching (20 page max, not to exceed 10MB); and the names, affiliations, and email addresses of three references.

Review of applications will begin on May 1st and will continue until the position is filled.

For technical issues, please contact interfolio staff at 877-997-8807 or help@interfolio.com

Other questions can be directed to Sandra Elliott: sandrame@mit.edu. Please do not send materials by email.

CMRPC Job Openings

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:50:25 GMT

Two positions are being advertised for CMRPC:

Transportation Data Analyst/Planner

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8zpe959erh0d58b/Mid%20level%20transportation%20data%20analyst%20%2004-2019.pdf?dl=0

Associate Planner

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bl0mtzd521xnbk1/Asssociate%20Planner%20RCCP%204.1.19.pdf?dl=0

MACP Film Series: "The Experimental City"

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:51:50 GMT

"The Experimental City" is a documentary about the Minnesota Experimental City project, a futuristic attempt to solve urban problems by creating a full-size city from scratch in the isolated woods of northern Minnesota. At the heart of the story is renowned scientist, inventor and comic-strip author Athelstan Spilhaus, who dreams of a new kind of planned city -- a truly experimental city that continuously changes to find workable urban solutions. This new city would employ the newest technologies in communications, transport, pollution control, energy supply -- even large-scale domed enclosure -- in an attempt to create more livable cities for the 21st Century.

It was a compelling vision, with powerful backers, hundreds of experts, and its own state agency. But not everyone fell in line with this newfangled vision for the future...

Sponsored by the Department of Urban Studies & Planning (DUSP) and the Massachusetts Association for Consulting Planners (MACP), with movie snacks and opportunities to network with urban planners and colleagues before/after the show.

More information available here.

Review: The Hudson Yards Mega-Development, Open to the Public Today

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:52:07 GMT

Curbed Architecture Critic Alexandra Lange provides everything you need to know about the $25 billion, "city within the city" that opened to the public in Manhattan today. Also, the review isn't exactly positive.

MACP Founding Member Carol Thomas dies

Daphne Politis — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 19:30:00 GMT

Carol Thomas, founding member of MACP, first woman to be president of AICP, professor, mentor, friend, and colleague, has died. A planner for over 70 years, Carol was a leader in the profession and inspired many.

A memorial service will be held Sat., July 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Church Boston, corner of Marlborough and Berkeley streets, Boston.

Carol Thomas in China, 1991 (John DePriest, photo)

Hiring Private Planning Consultants & Preparing RFPs

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 12:48:49 GMT

At the 2019 CPTC conference, on Saturday March 16, 2019, planning directors and planning board representatives learned from MACP members the nuts and bolts and tips on how to write an RFP for professional services that complies with Ch. 30B regulations, accurately represents what services and deliverable are desired, and attracts responsive and high-quality proposals for professional planning services.

See the link below to download the presentation.

MACP_RFP CPTC_20190316.pdf

Study: Self Driving Cars Could Worsen Congestion and Inequality

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:45:24 GMT

It's not all free flowing commutes and world peace in an autonomous vehicle-filled future.

Cambridge wanted a big drop in car ownership by 2020. That hasn't exactly happened.

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 15:00:41 GMT

Even Cambridge — which took up the anticar cause decades ago — can’t get more residents to give up their vehicles.

Biking and Walking Have Lost Momentum

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 13:16:36 GMT

A decade ago it seemed like biking and walking was making a comeback that could change the commuting culture of the United States.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/102862?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-02142019&mc_cid=33b51a5fba&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

California’s Commitment to Density Depends on Commitment to Common Destiny

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 13:14:45 GMT

Opponents of bills to promote transit oriented housing development throughout California need to do the math and develop some state pride.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/102902?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-02142019&mc_cid=33b51a5fba&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

The Great Divide in How Americans Commute to Work

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 20:32:29 GMT

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/01/commuting-to-work-data-car-public-transit-bike/580507/

We are cleaving into two nations—one where daily life revolves around the car, and the other where the car is receding in favor of walking, biking, and transit.

Town Planner & Conservation Agent, Economic Development and Planning – Town of Southbridge

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 20:31:07 GMT

https://www.ci.southbridge.ma.us/human-resources/news/position-available-town-plannerconservation-agent-0

Town Planner & Conservation Agent, Economic Development and Planning – Town of Southbridge

The Town of Southbridge seeks qualified candidates for the full time position of Town Planner/Conservation Agent in the Economic Development & Planning Department.

Responsibilities include providing specialized technical, administrative, and customer service support to the department, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, and other Town Boards/Commissions as required.

Professional expertise, critical thinking and interpersonal skills needed to accomplish varied functions ranging from routine to complex. Master’s degree in Urban/Regional Planning, Environmental Planning, or related field with 3 plus years of experience in a municipality preferred, or Bachelor’s degree in Urban/Regional Planning, Environmental Planning or a related field, with 5 plus years of experience in a municipality; Knowledge of practices, processes, and principles of municipal planning and permitting, including associated Massachusetts and federal statutes governing land use/zoning/conservation and the Wetlands and Rivers Protection Acts. Experience providing staff support to a Planning Board a must. AICP certification preferred. Experience working with Conservation Commissions and ZBAs a plus. MS-4 certification a plus.

Hiring salary range $63,319 - $72,817 per year.

Submit cover letter, resume and Town of Southbridge Employment Application to Town Manager’s office: 41 Elm Street, Southbridge, MA 01550, or fax to (508)764-5425 or email to kferron@southbridgemass.org.

Position open until filled, with best consideration given to applications received by February 7, 2019 when review of applications will commence.

Could Oregon Become the First State to Ban Single-Family Zoning?

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:26:22 GMT

Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland), speaker of the Oregon House, is drafting legislation that would end single-family zoning in cities of 10,000 or more: "The state’s housing crisis requires a combination of bolder strategies."

https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2018/12/14/could-oregon-become-the-first-state-to-ban-single-family-zoning/

Is This the Most Graceful Urban Planning History Lesson Ever?

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:01:22 GMT

Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet will present their third consecutive annual version of “The Nutcracker,” this time placing the story inside the 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the World’s Fair.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/is-this-the-most-graceful-urban-planning-history-lesson-ever

MIT Micro-Mobility Conference

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 13:42:34 GMT

The Third Transportation Revolution is here. In the emerging world of 'micro rentals' and shared asset ownership, the access economy, pioneered by Uber and AirBnB, is expanding to local transportation options, often called micro-mobility, or BTW (Better Than Walking). The melding of simple existing technology like traditional bicycles and skateboards with lithium-ion batteries and powerful computing technology has created a whole new way for people to travel relatively short distances.

The policy and design issues surrounding this new and growing type of personal mobility, be it personally owned electric skateboards, dock-less bikes, or shared electric scooters, are challenges which governments, businesses, advocacy groups, and regular citizens are all struggling to address.

This conference brings together thought leaders from government, industry, and user groups to explore the technological, policy, and physical infrastructure complications we must address as we jointly move into this New Urban Mobility future.

12:00-12:20: WELCOME

Kent Larson, Director, City Science @ MIT Media Lab

12:20-12:50: KEYNOTE: How does micro-mobility incorporate new and emerging technologies? What are the implications and mathematical impacts of vehicle occupancy, pooling, congestion, sharing, multi-modal networks, etc.

Assaf Biderman, Founder & CEO @ Superpedestrian; Associate Director @ MIT Senseable City Lab

1:00-2:15: PANEL DISCUSSION 1: Potential and current impact of emerging and existing technology-based micro-mobility such as scooters, micro-electric vehicles (MEVs), e-bikes, and one-wheels.

Josh Westerhold, Senior Manager, Future Lab @ Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
Ivan Li Huang, Founder & CEO @ Bonzer
Scott Mullen, Director of Northeast Expansion @ Lime
Hannah Smith, Government Relations Manager @ Bird

2:30-3:45: PANEL DISCUSSION 2: Regional infrastructure and regulatory challenges such as data sharing, equity, land use and right of way, parking and charging, speed limits, and licensing, zoning, and permitting.

Joe Barr, Director, Traffic, Parking, & Transportation @ City of Cambridge
Oliver Bandte, Principal Data Scientist @ The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Eric Bourassa, Director of Transportation @ Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Ryan Qi Wang, Associate Research Director @ Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI)

3:45-4:15: Q&A OF ALL SPEAKERS

4:15-5:00: CLOSING REMARKS & SHOWROOM EXHIBIT: Exhibit will have multiple devices on display including micro electric-vehicles, bike-shares, e-bikes, e-scooters, one-wheels, etc.

*Light snacks will be provided

Contact MGutierrez@CambridgeMA.gov with any questions.

Oct. 23: National Comm. Plng. Month screening of "The City and the World (1945-2000)"

Daphne Politis — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:19:01 GMT

MACP and Mass. APA welcome Anthony Flint of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to introduce and discuss the Ric Burns film, "The City and the World (1945-2000)." Flint wrote Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took on New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City and has authored dozens of pieces about planning and smart growth.

Mr. Flint will discuss Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses and the contributions both made to the growth of New York from the viewpoint of planners.

Food and beverage will be provided. Reception at 6:00 pm; program begins at 6:15 pm. Free. Location: Jacobs office, 120 St. James Ave. fl. 5, Back Bay. RSVP by October 19 (required). E-mail Anne.McKinnon@jacobs.com .

AICP members can earn 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for this activity. More information about AICP’s CM program can be found at www.planning.org/cm .

CM I 1.5

Urban Planning Film Series Kickoff

Daphne Politis — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:39:07 GMT

Please join us Thurs. night (9/13) when we will kick off the Fall DUSP/MIT occasional Urban Planning Film Series with a classic Boston film.

Urban Planning Film Series: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) Thurs., September 13, 2018

In 1973, before THE DEPARTED, THE TOWN, MYSTIC RIVER, GONE BABY GONE, or BLACK MASS -- when Boston was truly gritty and as down-on-its-luck as a two-bit gangster -- Robert Mitchum packed a generation's worth of despair, resignation, and existential angst into in THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE....

Time: 7:00 pm–9:00 pm

Location: MIT 3-133 (<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__whereis.mit.edu_-3Fgo-3D3&d=DwIGaQ&c=OgZOSER8c1RLeytEexU279Q2qk0jVwkrOdYe5iSi-kk&r=hQq5dulsVAvmbV62VY-BmkQt1LOkf4E55YyzcSzSSuA&m=m6voY487Xo4oWFcfXz6S-BXO7Dp-9c5QKRPlpCWY6aE&s=4zySwaDDwtMN-4eRINf9I7_t5CzNofnUSht8GahupHQ&e=>).

The great Robert Mitchum plays small-time gunrunner Eddie "Fingers"

Coyle in an adaptation of George V. Higgins's acclaimed novel, directed by by Peter Yates (BULLITT, BREAKING AWAY). World-weary and living hand to mouth, Coyle works on the sidelines of the seedy Boston underworld just to make ends meet. But when he finds himself facing a second stretch of hard time, he's forced to weigh loyalty to his criminal colleagues against snitching to stay free. Directed with an eye for its gritty locales and an open heart for its less-than-heroic characters, this is a treasure of 1970s Hollywood film-making --- a suspenseful crime drama in stark, unforgiving daylight.

Part of the MIT/DUSP Urban Planning Film Series. Free, open to the general public; popcorn and movie snacks provided.

Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP

Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT

77 Massachusetts Ave., Room 7-346

Cambridge, MA 02139

eglenn@mit.edu

China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy

Daphne Politis — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:22:14 GMT

"As debts pile up, whole new cities of apartment towers sit largely empty amid flashy

amenities such as museums, stadiums, and a replica of the Sphinx; residents wonder

when they'll have neighbors..."

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mcsvqn322anqhi7/WSJ%20-%20China%E2%80%99s%20Ghost%20Towns%20Haunt%20Its%20

Recent planning school graduate looking for job opportunity

Daphne Politis — Mon, 28 May 2018 16:01:20 GMT

Hello! I am a recent Master of Science graduate from Tuft's University's Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning and have a specialization certificate in Water, Systems, Science and Society. My knowledge and interest areas include climate adaptation, waterfront planning, community economic development, and equitable green design. I aiming to work full-time and contribute to a firm or projects using my skills in community outreach, data visualization, and research. If you'd like to connect please send an email to daleeko@gmail.com or a message via LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-kohn).

The hidden cost of our obsession with luxury living.

Daphne Politis — Sun, 20 May 2018 18:13:18 GMT

“Living better” through purchasing bigger housing with more lavish amenities poses several ethical questions.

https://www.linkedin.com/comm/groups/69691/69691-6402526389618176002?midToken=AQGjiUt-pibzzA&trk=eml-b2_anet_digest_weekly-hero-21-grouppost~0&trkEmail=eml-b2_anet_digest_weekly-hero-21-grouppost~0-null-i0p2a~jhajdv7a~he-null-communities~group~discussion&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_b2_anet_digest_weekly%3BSKKWd%2FrgQh%2B%2BIOP5ytATTQ%3D%3D

on Squaring Urbanism & Density

Daphne Politis — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:24:26 GMT

Despite its stated goals of promoting transit-oriented development and improving affordability through dense new housing supply, nearly every housing justice organization in California has vehemently opposed SB 827. In a series of interviews, The Planning Report aimed to drill down on the potential impacts of the bill, and depoliticize the contentious policy conversation.

https://www.planningreport.com/2018/04/09/ucla-s-michael-storper-squaring-urbanism-density

RENTCafé: Millennials Spend 45% of Their Income on Rent

Daphne Politis — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:46:23 GMT

Millennials are making more money in their 20s than Gen Xers or baby boomers did at the same age, but they’re spending the largest share of that income on rent, according to a RENTCafé study reported in Multifamily Executive (4/12/18).

The Town of Acton is looking for a Planning Intern

Daphne Politis — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 02:14:44 GMT

The Town of Acton is looking for a Planning Intern. Please share the attached internship posting for anyone who is interested. Please see the attachment for the full description and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until May 11th.

Contact the Acton Planning Department for more information: planning@acton-ma.gov

As Art Revitalizes Urban Neighborhoods, Maintaining Affordability Remains a Challenge

Daphne Politis — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 02:36:53 GMT

The notion that an active cultural milieu can have a broad-ranging economic impact is certainly not a novel concept for most real estate developers. But Miami’s rapid and sustained growth due to its significant investment in cultural development is perhaps one of the more successful case studies on the concept.

https://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/art-revitalizes-urban-neighborhoods-maintaining-affordability-remains-challenge/

15 Must-Read Urbanism Books Written by Women

Daphne Politis — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:47:57 GMT

When you search the Top 100 urban planning and development, architecture, or built environment books on Amazon you may notice the abundance of male voices, male authors. This book list is meant for men and women alike – to be inspired by those in our field and to gain greater perspectives in planning and developing built

https://theglobalgrid.org/15-must-read-urbanism-books-written-women-honor-international-womens-day/

Surface Parking Lots Making Way for Higher Uses

Daphne Politis — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 22:56:26 GMT

Are the urban revival and the future of mobility already rendering parking lots obsolete? Chicago provides a case study of a new generation of skyscrapers rising were cars once parked.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ori/ct-biz-parking-redevelopment-ryan-ori-20180308-story.html

Designing Cities for Women (and Men)

Daphne Politis — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 22:02:56 GMT

"Urban planners have been melding mainstreaming and city design in Vienna for over two decades and they've gotten it down to something of a science. Before a project gets underway, data is collected to determine how different groups of people use public space."

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2013/09/how-design-city-women/6739/

Designing a child-friendly city

Daphne Politis — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 21:55:03 GMT

"Imagine you are 10 years old. You live in a medium-sized city and want to visit your best friend, a five-minute walk away, so you can go to the park, another 10 minutes’ walk. The problem is, there’s a big, dangerous road between you and your friend, and another between them and the park. You ask your parents if you can walk, they say no, and they are too busy to take you there themselves.

Perhaps you SnapChat your friend instead, perhaps you play a video game on the sofa. You’ve lost out on exercise and time outside, interacting with your neighbourhood and, of course, play time with your friend.

This is the reality for many kids today – but it doesn’t have to be this way.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/28/child-friendly-city-indoors-playing-healthy-sociable-outdoors

MACP on the Boston Globe: Planning is valuable

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:13:18 GMT

Please check the thoughtful response to the Globe Editorial from members of MACP's Executive Committee.

Planning is not 'expensive,' Boston Globe 3-4-18.pdf

California City Bans 'Distracted Walking'

Daphne Politis — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 16:27:12 GMT

"It is illegal to operate a mobile phone to talk, text or listen to music while crossing the street in Montclair, California."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/97292?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-02222018&mc_cid=d33e1a08b5&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Upcoming Event: "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City"

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 15:57:01 GMT

The Mass. Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-MA) and Mass. Association of Planning Directors (MAPD) are co-sponsoring this FREE movie and networking event:

"Citizen Jane: Battle for the City". This documentary about Jane Jacobs and the battle to save Greenwich Village during the era of Urban Renewal got a 94% rating from Rotten Tomatoes! Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planners-movie-and-meet-up-citizen-jane-battle-for-the-city-tickets-42470905622

Wednesday March 7, 2018

Capitol Theatre, 204 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA

5:30-6:30 Networking, appetizers and cash bar

6:30-8:00 Movie

8:00-9:00 Discussion

Boston Globe op-ed "The best use of Widett Circle? Don’t develop it at all"

Daphne Politis — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 20:21:00 GMT

By Bob Zimmerman and Elizabeth Henry JANUARY 04, 2018

... the most profitable use of the circle, sandwiched between the South End and South Boston, may lie in not developing it. City coffers would be in better shape if we scrape up the pavement, create a wetland, and invite the public into a vibrant open space...,.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/01/04/the-best-use-widett-circle-don-develop-all/PKw5rstNGe4siQ2LxW18kM/story.html

Amazon Announces 20 Finalists for its Second Headquarters

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 03:55:59 GMT

In September, 238 applicants dreamed the impossible dream of attracting the second headquarters of Amazon, along with some 40,000 jobs. Today, all but 20 of those applicants will have to find a new quest...it had whittled the list of possible homes for its second headquarters to 20, including centers of technology like Boston and some surprise locations like Columbus, Ohio

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96777?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-01222018&mc_cid=70a7a36f0a&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

What Is a City Street?

Daphne Politis — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 19:08:37 GMT

"The most essential designed component of New York is not a skyscraper or a station, but the street. That basic workhorse of public space carries people, freight, and vehicles on its surface; water, sewage, power, gas, steam, and data below. It is a complex but archaic machine — improvised, mistreated, and endlessly patched up. It needs an overhaul, and it needs one now."

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/01/what-is-a-city-street-and-what-will-it-become.html

The ultimate symbol of the pre-recession boom is back: McMansions

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:46:35 GMT

There’s a certain type of house that people love to hate. They're called "McMansions," and architecture critic Kate Wagner has dedicated her website, McMansion Hell, to explaining why these houses rub people the wrong way. This was one of our most in-depth documentaries of 2017. Read the story (and see the video):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/the-ultimate-symbol-of-the-pre-recession-boom-is-back/?utm_term=.8f376904a310

Ford's CEO Talks About "Taking Back the Streets"

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:01:30 GMT

"Over the past century the automobile has turned out to be the ultimate disruptor to

human lives and our civic way of life."

https://medium.com/cityoftomorrow/together-lets-take-back-the-streets-6e8e39ffae2c

The Racist Roots of "Urban Renewal" And How it Made Cities Less Equal

Daphne Politis — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 14:54:21 GMT

“The social and emotional cost fell on poor people and people of color,” says University of Richmond’s Robert Nelson."

https://www.fastcodesign.com/90155955/the-racist-roots-of-urban-renewal-and-how-it-made-cities-less-equal

Rethinking London's Greenbelt

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 22:20:27 GMT

"We need openness and clarity about what the green belt does and its role in the undersupply of housing. Then we can ask if the price of green belt is one worth paying. If so, we can at least maintain the green belt without spurious justifications such as growing food and mitigating urban heat islands. If not, we can start to debate a new approach to green belt policy, which might include concentrating on corridors of green with improved public access, as in the Lee Valley Regional Park."

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/beware-new-justifications-for-green-belt-what-we-need-is-a-new-approach/

Houston Unveils Blueprint for Equity

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 22:16:40 GMT

Nearly a quarter of Houston's population lives in poverty—a scenario five times more likely for Black and Latino children than white children, according to a new report from Mayor Sylvester Turner's office.

A city task force has proposed an ambitious public jobs program as a way to make an immediate impact.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96044?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12042017&mc_cid=e64f0c0c60&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

London Plan Takes a Bold Stand Against Parking

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 22:15:09 GMT

"The new 25-tear London Plan would ban the construction of parking in large swatches of the city. It's just one component of an ambitious policy agenda presented by London Mayor Sadiq Khan this week."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96059?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12042017&mc_cid=e64f0c0c60&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Berlin's Upcoming Bike Revolution

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 21:45:40 GMT

"When Berlin unveiled its plans last week to become a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly city, it was almost immediately hailed as a revolution. "

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/12/berlin-bike-revolution/548297/

Why I Am Breaking Up with you Boston

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 17:36:02 GMT

You're too expensive, you lack social skills and you're really segregated..."

http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018/01/04/breaking-up-boston-anya-weber

Why I Am Staying With you Boston

Daphne Politis — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 17:34:37 GMT

"I wondered what it might be like to shack up in another city where..."

http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018/01/05/staying-with-boston-miles-howard

MACP on the Boston Globe: Boston then and now - and yet to be

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:44:56 GMT

We need a bolder master plan from Mayor Walsh

The Boston Globe_Boston Then and Now letters _11 -11-17.pdf

3-D Decals May Get Drivers To Slow Down

Daphne Politis — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 23:42:10 GMT

3-D decals are meant to catch drivers off-guard and, hopefully, make them drive more safely.

https://news.wgbh.org/2017/12/12/local-news/3-d-decals-may-get-drivers-slow-down?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20171214&utm_content=1222895937

The Artist Hubs of America

Daphne Politis — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:32:10 GMT

Data analysis reveals which cities have the most working artists.

Richard Florida shares data on the concentration of artists in the country's 100 largest metros to find out which cities are the leading art hubs of the 21st century. "While New York galleries will be well represented at Art Basel Miami Beach, the metro is no longer the nation’s leading center for art and artists," writes Florida. But, the numbers don't bear out the narrative that large cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have completely priced artists out.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96194?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12112017&mc_cid=7d2af21323&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Mid-SIzed Cities Make Car-Free Gains

Daphne Politis — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:31:12 GMT

Several cities located in the Northeast, especially in the New York region, saw a significant increase in the number of car-free households.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96176?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12112017&mc_cid=7d2af21323&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Infinite Suburbia Upends Everything We Know About Suburbia

Daphne Politis — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:29:40 GMT

Joel Kotkin and Alan M. Berger discuss their new book, which analyses what the suburbs are and will become, in both the United States and around the world.

"Two trends that may seem counterintuitive to urbanists have been the rapid pattern of diversification in suburbs, which now hold most of the nation’s immigrants and minorities, as well as the fact that suburbs are more egalitarian and less divided by class than core cities."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96160?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-12112017&mc_cid=7d2af21323&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

THE WANING INFLUENCE OF HOUSING PRODUCTION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:11:18 GMT

A Metropolitan Area Planning Council Research Brief

https://www.mapc.org/enrollment/

When Whites Return to the Black Neighborhoods They Fled

Daphne Politis — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 17:54:00 GMT

"Gentrification is big news all over L.A., and working-class and lower-income people across the county stand to lose a lot from its advance," writes Erin Aubry Kaplan. "They already have. But black people in particular will feel the sting."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/96006?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-11302017&mc_cid=572c9a6aa0&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

Report: Greater Boston Needs More, And Affordable, Housing

Daphne Politis — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 14:20:50 GMT

An annual "report card" that judges the availability and affordability of housing in Greater Boston gives good marks to the city's efforts to increase housing, but lower marks to the suburbs.

In total, the report, The Boston Foundation's Greater Boston Housing Report Card, estimates housing permits in Boston and Greater Boston together are up 12 percent from 2016.

Much of that growth comes from the city of Boston itself. The city is on track to approve nearly 60 percent of permits for buildings with five or more units, and more than 41 percent of all new housing permits in 2017

By contrast, communities outside of Boston, in total, are set to approve 7 percent fewer units in 2017, from 2016.

http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/11/28/housing-report-card-boston

Boston Begins Effort To Become Carbon Neutral By 2050

Daphne Politis — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 14:18:10 GMT

"The city of Boston on Tuesday launches Carbon Free Boston, which officials describe as the city's next step to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The initiative aims to address how to fuel a growing Boston while also meeting the city's climate goals.

There are currently 106 buildings, worth $9 billion, under construction in Boston. Over the past five years, the city has approved adding the square footage equal to 45 new Prudential Towers.

"We're very fortunate right now," said Austin Blackmon, the city's chief of energy, environment and open space. "Boston is in one of its largest building booms in its history, and that means there are great opportunities for us to have a lasting impact on the future of our city.

Boston already has more LEED-certified energy efficient buildings than any other city in the nation. And Massachusetts has been named the most energy efficient state seven years in a row.

By 2050 the state is committed to reducing emissions from fossil fuels by 80 percent. Boston is even more ambitious: It wants to be carbon neutral by then."

http://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2017/11/28/boston-carbon-neutral-plan

Bill Gates Buys 25,000 Acres in Arizona for a Master Planned 'Smart City'

Daphne Politis — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:58:38 GMT

The new community of Belmont will join Arcosanti as another attempt at turning Arizona desert into the next evolution of human habitation. This time, one of the richest men in the world is behind the plans.

The idea is to build a "smart city" on 25,000 acres of land located about 45 minutes west of Phoenix. The new planned community will be called Belmont. "Of the 25,000 acres, 3,800 will be used for office, retail, and commercial space," explains Wiener. "Another 470 acres will be used for public schools. That leaves enough space for 80,000 residential units."

https://www.planetizen.com/node/95773?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-11162017

MACP on the Globe: Boston then and now - and yet to be

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:59:15 GMT

The Boston Globe_Boston Then and Now letters _11 -11-17.pdf

Celebrate World Town Planning Day!

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 19:53:35 GMT

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

The American Planning Association's International Division is sponsoring activities celebrating this year's World Town Planning Day.

Joining planners and planning organizations from around the globe, APA and APA's International Division are excited to bring you online multimedia resources focusing on this year's theme, Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).

https://www.planning.org/international/worldtown/

The Business Case for Bike Lanes

Daphne Politis — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 22:03:16 GMT

In order to spur economic growth and help businesses keep and attract employees, the City of Beaverton is set to begin work on a complete rebuild of Western Avenue between 5th Street to Allen (about two-thirds of a mile). The location of the project is an industrial zone southeast of the downtown core.

Note the Fanno Creek Trail in lower right and Beaverton Town Center in upper left.

In a move that might (pleasantly) surprise you, Beaverton’s update to this road will reduce the number of driving-only lanes and add lanes for bicycling and walking.

“For companies to attract new and younger talent as the Baby Boomer workforce retires,” reads the planning document that prioritized this project, “A location adjacent to bike and pedestrian facilities is a distinct competitive advantage.”

https://bikeportland.org/2017/10/17/to-boost-business-city-of-beaverton-will-build-separated-bikeways-on-western-ave-247398

Conquering Fears of Public Space on Halloween

Daphne Politis — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:35:50 GMT

"Indeed, Halloween isn’t scary at all. It’s the one time when people feel the safest in their neighborhoods and free to enjoy them fully. "

https://www.planetizen.com/node/95578?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-11022017

Google’s plan to revolutionise cities is a takeover in all but nam

Daphne Politis — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:34:52 GMT

Just how far should private data acquisition and retention of
public data go for cities?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/21/google-urban-cities-planning-data

The Many Problems With Autonomous Vehicles

Daphne Politis — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:11:59 GMT

Optimists predict that autonomous vehicles will be a transportation panacea, but there are good reasons to be skeptical. They may create as many problems as they solve.

https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/95445-many-problems-autonomous-vehicles

Which U.S. Cities Changed the Most This Decade

Daphne Politis — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:07:14 GMT

Analysis looks at a decade of data to determine which communities are undergoing dynamic transformations, and which are standing still.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/95448?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-10262017

Study Compares Nearly 900 Inclusionary Housing Programs

Daphne Politis — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:03:16 GMT

The largest survey of inclusionary housing to date contrasts the efficacy of policies across the United States.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/95466?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-10262017

Self-driving cars moving forward!

Daphne Politis — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:27:02 GMT

As part of the deal, NuTonomy will combine more than 100 employees, including 70 engineers and scientists, to Delphi's more than 100-member automated driving team. After the transaction is completed, Delphi will have self-driving operations in Boston, Pittsburgh, Singapore, Santa Monica, and Silicon Valley; NuTonomy will continue to be based in Boston, where both companies currently operate pilot programs. By combining efforts with NuTonomy in Boston, Singapore, and other pilot cities around the world, Delphi will have 60 autonomous cars on the road across three continents by years end.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/24/16533534/delphi-nutonomy-acquisition-450-million-self-driving

Icelandic Town Hopes to Slow Traffic with 3-D Illusion

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 14:59:38 GMT

The small town of Isafjordur, Iceland is hoping an optical illusion painted onto a street will work to slow down drivers.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/95330?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-10192017

Amsterdam Rethinks the Traffic Light’s Role in City Planning

Daphne Politis — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 20:35:55 GMT

"Because so many bicyclists were passing through the intersection, red lights would lead to big backups of bicycle traffic and long delays. City traffic engineers postulated that eliminating traffic lights would actually speed things up for everyone. After eight months of planning and negotiations among city officials, the transportation department, the transit agency, cycling advocates and accessibility advocates, the city was ready to flip the switch. In May 2016, they shut off the traffic lights."

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/amsterdam-traffic-lights-removed

Boston to Help Affordable Housing Developers Rethink Vacant Lots

Daphne Politis — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 02:30:59 GMT

"In a market where buildable land goes quickly to private developers paying cash — or investors who sit on the property and wait for its value to rise — nonprofit builders are at a definite disadvantage. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wants to level that building field, and his administration has announced an $8.5 million program designed to help nonprofits acquire parcels for affordable housing."

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/news-boston-affordable-housing-developers-rethink-vacant-lots

Two Simple Sentences Could Reshape Suburban America

Daphne Politis — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 16:01:34 GMT

An obscure ordinance published by the Department of Commerce in 1928 has had arguably the largest affect on how U.S. cities are developed. But a new, simple, two-sentence subdivision ordinance could actually result in much better places, and much better cities.

http://www.moderncities.com/article/2017-oct-two-simple-sentences-could-reshape-suburban-america

Mapping the Shadows of New York City: Every Building, Every Block

Daphne Politis — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 14:16:59 GMT

"Sunlight and shadow shape the character and rhythm of New York’s public spaces. They have the power to control the flow of foot traffic on our city streets and decide which plazas hum with activity and commerce and which stay barren and desolate. And probably most noticeably, they have the power to change the rent. In most parts of America, sunlight is not debated the way it is in New York, where the city’s thirst for living space, working space and economic growth has turned the sun into a virtual commodity."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/21/upshot/Mapping-the-Shadows-of-New-York-City.html?_r=0

East Boston Climate Summit 2017

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 14:24:07 GMT

A message from Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc (NOAH)

NOAH's great ClimateCARE team is planning an East Boston Climate Summit on Saturday, October 28, from 10AM to 2:30PM, at the Umana Academy on Border Street in East Boston. Climate change brings the increasing threat of sea-level rise, damaging floods, warming temperatures, and changing storm patterns. The diverse and vibrant peninsular community of East Boston is poised to experience these threats in a big way. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Sandy have taught us that large urban centers can suffer loss of life and severe property damage. Personal and institutional preparedness are necessary in the face of these increasing challenges. The City of Boston and other City/State agencies are making plans to protect East Boston - its people, its businesses, and its community. NOAH is working closely with the City and various agencies so that plans make sense for all of East Boston's residents. Mayor Marty Walsh, a national climate change leader, is our invited speaker, along with Oscar A. Chacón, co-founder and executive director of Alianza Americas, an immigrant-serving organization. Our elected local representatives will also be speaking. There will be a variety of interesting workshops to attend. For more information, please contact NOAH's Climate Program Manager, Gabriela Boscio, at gboscio@noahcdc.org or register by clicking HERE.

Envision Cambridge Interim Report is out!

Daphne Politis — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 15:42:35 GMT

The report covers the following:

Urban Form

Population

Housing

Economy

Mobility

Climate and the Environment

See here:

http://envision.cambridgema.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-09-20-Cambridge-Today-Pages-For-Web.pdf?utm_source=Cambridge%2BToday%2BAnnouncement&utm_campaign=Envision%2B&utm_medium=email

How Urban Design Impacts Happiness

Daphne Politis — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 02:20:52 GMT

When you walk through a city, does it make you feel happy? That’s the question author and urbanist Charles Montgomery set out to answer while researching his book, Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design. Through various experiments and urban labs, Montgomery discovered that, yes, walking through certain parts of a city can indeed spark joy. But that discovery led to another, more impactful question: How can cities foster happiness through urban design

https://blueprint.cbre.com/how-urban-design-impacts-happiness/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Wallpost&utm_campaign=Native&utm_term=Urban%2BDesign%2BImpacts%2BHappiness

Massachusetts Zoning Reform - Bill S81

Leonardi Aray — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 22:12:47 GMT

The Massachusetts Association of Consulting Planners is supporting the Smart Growth Alliance on their Campaign to advance zoning reform in Massachusetts.

Tomorrow Thursday, September 28th at 10:00AM, planning professionals will be providing oral testimony before the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses on Senate Bill #81-- An Act Promoting Housing and Sustainable Development. We encourage everyone to attend the hearing.

Also, please sign the online petition at:

https://www.great-neighborhoods.org/petition

The petition signers will be asking the legislature to make Great Neighborhoods a top priority this term.

Here is the link to more information about the bill: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/2733

Quiz: Can you recognize these cities by their skylines?

Daphne Politis — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:41:40 GMT

Many world cities have a signature building or monument that makes their skylines recognizable, while others are more challenging. Are you smart enough to name all of these cities from only pictures of their skylines? Prove it :)

http://offbeat.topix.com/quiz/18598?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=18598&utm_term=230M8SALFQPM6UIT

Transit-Oriented Housing Helps Older Adults Live Independent Lives

Daphne Politis — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:08:12 GMT

"Housing affordability is a vexing challenge and transit-oriented development is often a victim of its own success. These neighborhoods become sought after by buyers and renters of all ages, pushing up housing costs. The challenge now is to ensure that housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households, including older adults, is part of these new neighborhoods."

http://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/getting-around/info-2017/transit-oriented-development-senior-housing-denver.html?cmp=EMC-DSM-NLC-LC-HOMFAM-20170920_LivableCommunities_254800_406404-092017-F2-NoCarNeeded-Header-CTRL-2432044&encparam=%2BbUHUZ36YbpvM3joKy0j%2FTC%2BHO336rs01pL18F14eLY%3D

How to Reduce Car-Bicycle Crashes by 81%

Daphne Politis — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:04:34 GMT

A relatively simple solution has made Grand Rapids, Michigan, a leader in driving change.

http://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/getting-around/info-2017/wwl-transportation-grand-rapids-driving-change.html?cmp=EMC-DSM-NLC-LC-HOMFAM-20170920_LivableCommunities_254800_406404-092017-F1-HowToReduce-Header-CTRL-2432044&encparam=%2BbUHUZ36YbpvM3joKy0j%2FTC%2BHO336rs01pL18F14eLY%3D

City hopes to improve pedestrian safety with new crosswalk pilot project

Daphne Politis — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:02:09 GMT

In an effort to improve pedestrian safety, the City of Regina has undertaken a two-year pilot project using a new style of crosswalk signage.

http://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/city-hopes-to-improve-pedestrian-safety-with-new-crosswalk-pilot-project

The Chief Architect Of 21st Century New York Envisions The Future Of Cities

Daphne Politis — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 01:57:11 GMT

After September 11, 2001, Lower Manhattan was a shell of its former self. New York City, deeply rattled by the attacks and mourning the thousands that died, was too. Just a few weeks later Michael Bloomberg was elected, and as his deputy mayor of economic development and rebuilding he appointed the investment banker Dan Doctoroff. His task? Repairing a city some thought would never again be a center of business or a desirable place to live.

Sixteen years later, New York is a changed city. Under Doctoroff’s leadership, the landscape of New York from Lower Manhattan to downtown Brooklyn has radically changed.

[Image: courtesy PublicAffairs]

https://www.fastcodesign.com/90139632/how-the-chief-architect-of-new-new-york-envisions-future-of-cities

Planning for LGBTQ Inclusive Urban Spaces: Lessons from Atlanta &Tampa

Daphne Politis — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:00:00 GMT

UMASS BOSTON
Amherst Room, UMass Club 1 Beacon St., 32nd Floor, Boston
Petra Doan is Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida State University. In addition to her research on planning in the developing world, she conducts research on planning issues surrounding the LGBTQ community.

RSVP by September 18 rochelle.hall001@umb.edu

Opinion: Why Massachusetts Shouldn’t Play 'Let’s Make A Deal' With Amazon

Daphne Politis — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 02:01:07 GMT

Unless you fell off the Kindle truck yesterday, you understand Amazon probably knows already where it wants to build, meaning the winning jurisdiction will squander resources on a headquarters it would have gotten anyway, argues a Brookings Institution analyst...

http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/09/21/corporate-welfare-and-the-amazon-stick-up-rich-barlow

You Can Explore Boston Sea Level Rise And Flooding Scenarios With This City Map

Daphne Politis — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 01:51:29 GMT

The city has turned the data from its massive Climate Ready Boston report into an interactive map that allows you to explore many of the report's findings and projections.

The tool allows you to layer various data sets onto the map, including sea level rise and flood risk, as well as vulnerable populations and areas of high temperatures. You can zoom in to or search specific places within city limits to see effects there.

http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/09/21/boston-sea-level-flooding-map

"The Suburb of the Future... Almost Here"

Daphne Politis — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:54:39 GMT

"Millennials want a different kind of suburban
development that is smart, efficient and sustainable."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/sunday-review/future-suburb-millennials.html?_r=0

RFP for Consulting Services: Assessment of Fair Housing (Taunton)

Daphne Politis — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:13:16 GMT

Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) Consulting Services, City of Taunton on behalf of the Greater Attleboro /Taunton HOME Consortium (GATHC)

The City of Taunton, on behalf of the GATHC, is seeking separately sealed price and non-price (technical) proposals from qualified consulting professionals to complete an AFH for the 14 communities that comprise the GATHC. The AFH will need to be submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in August of 2018. Candidates must be familiar with regulations and requirements related to HUD's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule. A Request for Proposal (RFP) package may be obtained beginning September 18, 2017 by calling Janine Peccini, Program Manager, City of Taunton, at (508)821-1030 or e-mailing jpeccini@taunton-ma.gov

East Boston Climate Change Summit - 2017

Leonardi Aray — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 13:28:40 GMT

When
Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM EDT

Where

Mario Umana Academy, 312 Border Street, East Boston, MA 02128

Please visit the link below to register.

http://noahcdc.org/programs/climate-change

Climate change brings the threat of sea-level rise, damaging floods, warming temperatures, and changing storm patterns, which are increasingly posing a threat to East Boston. Our diverse and vibrant peninsular community is poised to experience these threats in a big way. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Sandy are teaching us that large urban centers can suffer loss of life and severe property damage. Personal and institutional preparedness are necessary in the face of these increasing challenges.

The City of Boston and other City/State agencies are making plans to protect East Boston, our people, our businesses, and our community. NOAH is working closely with the City and various agencies so that plans make sense for East Boston. As part of our efforts, we will be organizing and hosting the first-ever East Boston Climate Summit on October 28, 2017.

Come and learn what planning is in the works, what still needs to be done, and what you can do to participate in shaping future plans. Residents, agencies, and businesses can advise the City and agencies by participating in this unique event. Mayor Marty Walsh, a national climate change leader, is our invited speaker along with Oscar A. Chacón, co-founder and executive director of Alianza Americas. Alianza Americas is an immigrant serving organization. Our elected local representatives will also be speaking. There will be a variety of interesting workshops to attend.

East Boston's first-ever Climate Summit is an opportunity for us to get facts and then to work together-agencies, departments, neighborhood groups, small businesses, residents-so that we can preserve East Boston for ourselves, our children, and generations to come.

It's FREE! All are invited.

Contact Gabriela Boscio (gboscio@noahcdc.org) or Melinda Vega (mvega@noahcdc.org) for more information or to participate.

10 Libraries Designed as Community Centers

Daphne Politis — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 21:03:53 GMT

Rather than fading in the age of the internet and digital media, libraries are taking on an even stronger role in community life, bringing together diverse populations and providing access not only to books, but also to offerings as varied as recording studios that let patrons use musical instruments and conversation tables that help immigrants strengthen their language skills. Cafés, coffee bars, lounges, exhibition spaces, and plazas encourage gathering, and expanded children’s areas and teen rooms draw younger people for studying, games, and other activities.

The following ten projects—all completed during the past five years—include facilities that strengthen pedestrian links to waterfronts, renovated buildings that open up interiors to views and daylight, a JCPenney store converted into a library and community center, and the refurbishment of a 1960s library that spans a river.

https://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/ulx-10-libraries-community-hubs/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=group&utm_campaign=magazine

APA Private Practice invitation for proposals for NPC18 in New Orleans

Daphne Politis — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 19:54:39 GMT

Seeking Your Proposals for NPC18

The APA Private Practice Division Invites Your Conference Proposals for the 2018 National Planning Conference in New Orleans! The session proposal portal closes on August 31.

A Change for 2018

APA has changed the role of Divisions in NPC session selection. Traditionally, all Divisions were automatically granted one by-right and one facilitated discussion that each Division submitted to APA. For 2018, Divisions will no longer have ‘guaranteed’ sessions. Instead, all sessions will go into the general conference session proposal pool for evaluation. Division members have been invited to participate in the Division evaluation process, which is APA’s new mechanism for including membership in shaping the content of the conference.

Session Proposal:
The Private Side of Public Work

Call for NPC16 Session Speakers

Have you ever noticed how the media portrays the relationship between the public and private sectors? It is often black-or-white. Either government is bad or government contracts are bad.

We all know that there is more to the story. The relationship between the public and private sectors is many-faceted and complex. And, it deserves a more nuanced conversation.

Based on the podcast The Private Side of Public Work with host Ingrid Heilke,
this conference panel offers a new angle on the dynamic relationship between private business and public-facing work. This will be a live-action version of the podcast.

If you are interested in participating as a panelist, please fill out this form today and send an email to Ingrid@privatesideofpublic.work.

NPC18 | New Orleans | April 21-24

Play a Part in Next Year's Premier Planning Event

APA's National Planning Conference is a first-class event that brings together thousands of planners, planning commissioners, appointed and elected officials, and students. Whether your goal is to contribute expertise and help drive change in the field of planning, learn from your peers and adopt new practices, or connect with like-minded planners who are solving everyday challenges similar to yours, make plans now to join APA in New Orleans.

TODrinks Malden

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 20:51:57 GMT

https://www.facebook.com/events/471970339838677/

Are Form-Based Design Standards Easier Than Form-Based Codes?

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 20:49:04 GMT

https://www.planetizen.com/node/93891?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-07272017

Recreational Marijuana Resources Page Mass Association of Regional Planning Agencies

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 20:46:43 GMT

http://www.massmarpa.org/recreational-marijuana

Is Boston’s building boom overwhelming streets and transit?

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 20:44:14 GMT

Southie Edison plant project underscores region’s transit woes

The old Boston Edison power plant in South Boston is the latest example of the projects that are reshaping Greater Boston — big developments packed with housing just a short commute to downtown.

But with nearly 1,600 housing units, the 15-acre redevelopment also underscores a growing concern that the building boom will overwhelm city streets and mass transit.

Redgate and Hilco Redevelopment Partners estimate that their 2.1-million-square-foot mix of residential, retail, and office space would generate an additional 10,000 vehicle trips a day in that corner of South Boston once it is completed, likely more than a decade from now.

The developers also anticipate many new residents will rely on public transit, as they plan to have only about 700 parking spaces allocated for housing — fewer than one space for every two units.

“The buses are absolutely jam-packed every day,” said Donna Brown, executive director of the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corp. “Where do you put more transportation options? They have to come up with that answer.”

Read the full story at BostonGlobe.com.

Envision Cambridge "Walkshop" Central Square

Leonardi Aray — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 20:33:18 GMT

The latest in a series of "walkshops," Envision Cambridge presents a walking tour of Central Square and Riverside. How has this area changed over time and how is it evolving today? How have urban planning decisions affected the development and mobility options along this corridor? The tour will explore how policies and planning have shaped Massachusetts Avenue and the surrounding areas, with particular emphasis on urban form, housing, and mobility.

Participants will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Carl Barron Plaza (the open space on the southeast corner of Mass Ave and Propect Street). Members of the Envision Cambridge consultant team and Community Development Department staff will lead the tour. The walk will be approximately 1 mile and 1.5 hours.

Please register to reserve your spot in the walkshop

It's Time to Change How We Measure Affordable Housing

Daphne Politis — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 19:18:22 GMT

"In virtually every major urban real estate market, a major determinant of rent and housing prices is accessibility. If you live in a dense, walkable urban neighborhood, you might manage to live quite comfortably not owning a car, or having just one car for a two-worker family. If you live on the exurban edge, in a low density subdivision, you might need to own multiple cars just to manage the daily chores of school, shopping and play, as well as commuting to work. It turns out that the value of accessibility gets priced in to the walkable, well-located housing; and conversely, rental and for sale housing that’s located at a distance from everything is priced at a discount to the market."

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/06/the-problem-with-how-we-measure-affordable-housing/531378/

In World's Best-Run Economy, House Prices Keep Falling -- Because That's What House Prices Are Supposed To Do

Daphne Politis — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 19:16:55 GMT

"German house prices in 2012 represented a 10 percent decrease in real terms compared to thirty years ago. That is a particularly astounding performance compared to the UK, where real prices rose by more than 230 percent in the same period. "

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnfingleton/2014/02/02/in-worlds-best-run-economy-home-prices-just-keep-falling-because-thats-what-home-prices-are-supposed-to-do/#3a9260906ad0

What No one Ever Tells You About Tiny Homes

Daphne Politis — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 19:13:13 GMT

"No one warns you that everything is more concentrated in a tiny house, that the natural life cycle of objects accelerates..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/realestate/what-no-one-ever-tells-you-about-tiny-homes.html?mc=aud_dev&mcid=fb-nytimes&mccr=JuneMC910&mcdt=2017-06&subid=JuneMC910&ad-keywords=AudDevGate

Walking in Times of Uber Cities

Daphne Politis — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 14:02:12 GMT

Considering this pattern of urban design, what is the position of pedestrians and cyclists in a global sharing economy where Uber (the mobile app officially launched in 2011) serves 570 cities across the world? As we approach a future of autonomous, driverless, electric cars and buses, the conditions of walkable mobility will need to rely on smart mutations of existing roads and highways. These spaces are becoming obsolete in the cyborg city, where artificial intelligence and natural human flows (such as pedestrian movements) intensively interact.

https://intermittentcity.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/walking-in-times-of-uber-cities/

The Next Baby Boom: Urban Millennials with Children

Daphne Politis — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 03:07:42 GMT

Affordable urban living for millennial families with children has the potential to become one of the largest market demands in the near future.

http://www.moderncities.com/article/2017-jun-the-next-baby-boom-urban-millennials-with-children-

Boston, USA — Deutsche Bank ranks Boston as the US city with the highest quality of life in 2017

Daphne Politis — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 20:54:39 GMT

In 2017, for the first time, Deutsche Bank has included a ranking of the quality of life in 47 cities around the world. The ranking is based on eight sub-indexes compiled by crowd-sourced information database Numbeo, which create a broad picture of what it is like to live in different cities.

The indexes are: Purchasing Power, Safety, Health Care, Cost of Living, Property Price to Income Ratio, Traffic Commute Time, Pollution, and Climate.

Broadly speaking, the cities that rank highly are in the northern hemisphere in developed western economies, although several cities from nations like South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand make the list, with one even at the very top.

Check it out below:

http://www.businessinsider.com/world-cities-with-best-quality-of-life-deutsche-bank-mapping-the-worlds-prices-index-2017-5

World’s first driverless rail transit system unveiled in Hunan, China

Daphne Politis — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 16:32:38 GMT

Chinese railcar-maker CRRC on Jun. 2 unveiled a new product called Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, and the bus-rail combo rapid transit system is expected to speed up city’s public transportation.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0602/c90000-9223523.html

Latinos Are A Crucial Part of Boston's Economic Growth

Daphne Politis — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:50:42 GMT

Latinos account for virtually all of the population growth in Boston in the past 35 years.

http://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2017/06/07/report-latinos-boston-growth

Driverless cars are coming to Boston!

Daphne Politis — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:49:03 GMT

Left Teams Up with Cambridge startup to bring Driverless Ride-hailing to the roads

http://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2017/06/06/lyft-nutonomy-self-driving-cars-ride-hailing

10 Ways Bicycle-Friendly Streets Are Good for People Who Don't Ride Bicycles

Daphne Politis — Sun, 28 May 2017 16:37:23 GMT

"Even in the most crime-free of America's neighborhoods, people don't feel entirely safe when they're out and about.

Drivers, some of whom view the nation's roadways as their exclusive domain, are having to contend with growing numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Bicyclists, who are largely focused on maneuvering through vehicle traffic and not getting sideswiped on shoulderless streets, sometimes don't realize how they imperil pedestrians.

People traveling by foot often feel under siege from both speeding cars and unpredictable bicycles.

Like many street-level conflicts, this one is about territory. Who owns the streets?"

http://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/getting-around/info-2016/why-bicycling-infrastructure-is-good-for-people-who-dont-ride-bikes.html?cmp=EMC-DSM-NLC-LC-HOMFAM-20170503_LivableCommunities_254800_336202-050317-F2-BicycleBenefits-Header-CTRL-2100002&encparam=%2BbUHUZ36YbpvM3joKy0j%2FTC%2BHO336rs01pL18F14eLY%3D

Acton is looking for a summer intern

Daphne Politis — Thu, 25 May 2017 15:28:55 GMT

The Town of Acton is looking for a Planning Intern.

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Thanks,
Robert Hummel
Assistant Town Planner
Town of Acton
978-929-6631

Using technology to connect to history

Daphne Politis — Mon, 22 May 2017 15:16:21 GMT

New app transports you through NYC's historic cityscape with archival photos!

https://archpaper.com/2017/05/urban-archive-app-nyc/

CivicMoxie is seeking summer intern (paid)

Daphne Politis — Sun, 21 May 2017 15:41:56 GMT

Graduate Planning Internship (paid)

CivicMoxie, LLC

Posted 5/17/17

CivicMoxie, a planning, community development, and urban design group, is seeking a summer intern to assist with exciting work on multiple projects ranging from a multimodal and land use plan for Manchester, NH to a Cultural Plan for Portland, ME to a Placemaking Project in Brockton, MA. We have a range of public sector and private clients and are working in cities throughout the eastern seaboard.

Ideal candidates will:

Be passionate about urban planning and improving communities/downtowns

Have excellent graphic and research skills

Be self-directed

Contribute to the great positive energy to our collaborative work environment

You will be doing all or some of the following:

Case study research
Documenting existing conditions including taking photographs
Mapping and analysis graphics
Proposal/marketing preparation
Conducting interviews and co-facilitating focus groups
Preparing presentations and graphics for public meetings and attending same

Graphic experience is needed in all or some of these areas: urban and/or graphic design skills, Adobe Creative Suite including photoshop, indesign, illustrator,GIS

We are a small firm where you will have the opportunity to be exposed to all aspects of planning projects and to contribute in meaningful ways. Leo, our golden doodle urban dog park advisor is in the office daily and we think our work environment is pretty awesome. Our office is in Brookline Village, just two blocks from the Brookline Village T stop.

If interested, please send your cv and some writing and graphic work samples by May 27th to:

Susan Silberberg, at susan@civicmoxie.com Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled. Go to www.civicmoxie.com for more info about our firm!

CivicMoxie is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Two downtown pedestrian malls that work very well

Daphne Politis — Sat, 20 May 2017 17:50:55 GMT

Two American cities with hugely successful pedestrian malls in their downtown core – St. Augustine, Florida and Boulder, Colorado. During the 1960s and 70s, pedestrian malls were seen as a possible solution to suburban shopping malls. Cities around the country converted their primary downtown shopping street to pedestrian malls in the hopes of stemming the loss of retailers. While some cities have removed their pedestrian malls, a number of others, including the two referenced in this post have been very successful.

https://panethos.wordpress.com/2017/05/19/two-downtown-pedestrian-malls-that-work-and-work-very-well/

Cash for Trash program in China

Daphne Politis — Thu, 18 May 2017 21:27:21 GMT

Waste segregation is being promoted across China through campaigns and initiatives, to help reduce environmental and economic pressure brought by the growing amount of trash.

http://www.initiatives.com.hk/cash-for-trash.html

Surprise! Phase One of the Rail Park, Philly’s High Line, will open soon

Daphne Politis — Mon, 15 May 2017 16:04:32 GMT

"All that warm winter weather led to faster construction."

https://billypenn.com/2017/05/12/surprise-phase-one-of-the-rail-park-phillys-high-line-will-open-soon/

The surprisingly short list of US metro areas receiving inclusive economic growth (Boston is on the list, but not for inclusion!)

Daphne Politis — Tue, 09 May 2017 23:03:03 GMT

While disparate, these projects agree that inclusive growth occurs when all segments of society share in the benefits of economic growth. And they recognize that recent failures to achieve inclusive growth, especially in advanced economies like Europe and the United States, helps to explain the political and societal divisions they increasingly face.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2017/04/27/the-surprisingly-short-list-of-u-s-metro-areas-achieving-inclusive-economic-growth/

MAPD Registration now open!

Daphne Politis — Tue, 09 May 2017 22:51:36 GMT

Hey Planners:

I know you are all down at the NPC in NYC, but...have you registered yet for the 2017 MAPD conference in Pittsfield on June 15th and June 16th. If not, what are you waiting for; this conference is not to be missed! Please follow this link for conference registration: http://massplanningdirectors.org/?page_id=1079
The Conference Committee has shaken up the programming this year! In addition to a keynote address from the Mayor of Pittsfield, Linda Tyer, we have not two but THREE concurrent sessions in four time blocks, a tour and reception at the Colonial Theater, and three plenary sessions. We had an incredible response to the call for session proposals this year and are excited to include the following topics:

*   Recovering and Relapsing Planners - Planning Directors moving into Town/City Management
*   Municipal Perspectives on Complete Streets
*   Broadband access and economic development
*   Community Engagement and Outreach
*   Assessing Impacts of Residential Development
*   Greening Your Community
Feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions!

Best,
Kristina
Kristina Johnson, AICP
Asst. Director of Planning &
Community Development
Town of Hudson, MA
Tel: 978-562-2989
Cell: 857-939-3427
Email: kjohnson@townofhudson.org<mailto:kjohnson@townofhudson.org>
"Like" Hudson Planning and Community Development on Facebook [http://blogs-images.forbes.com/peterhimler/files/2014/02/high-res-logo_facebook1.png] <https://www.facebook.com/HudsonRecreation>

How DC Planners Used a Bikeshare Program to Reduce Traffic Congestion

Daphne Politis — Wed, 03 May 2017 15:16:57 GMT

In August 2015, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and data firm Inrix jointly released the Urban Mobility Scorecard, an assessment of cities in the US in terms of traffic congestion. With 82 hours of delay per commuter recorded on average during the prior full year, Washington, DC edged out Los Angeles (80 hours) and San Francisco (78 hours) as the nation’s most congested city.

Comparing the total number of minutes it usually takes a worker to get from home to work in the DC area to other US metropolitan areas with similar population sizes aptly illustrates the congestion problems faced by the nation’s capital.

http://app.mysidewalk.com/blog/how-dc-planners-used-a-bikeshare-program-to-reduce-traffic-congestion/?utm_source=mc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20170503_loop

Being The Nike+ Of Public Space: Building A Sense Of Belonging

Daphne Politis — Wed, 03 May 2017 15:09:21 GMT

As we move into the ‘Era of Experience’ developers and city makers are struggling with the pressing need to secure higher quality public engagement to ensure real success in delivering great public spaces that people love.

https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/part-two-nike-public-space-building-sense-belonging-adam-scott/?utm_source=sumome&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_campaign=sumome_share

Break Up the Liberal City

Daphne Politis — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 17:41:36 GMT

"Yes, for many of their inhabitants, particularly the young and the wealthy, our liberal cities are pleasant places in which to work and play. But if they are diverse in certain ways they are segregated in others, from “whiteopias” like Portland to balkanized cities like D.C. or Chicago. If they are dynamic, they are also so rich — and so rigidly zoned — that the middle class can’t afford to live there and fewer and fewer kids are born inside their gates. If they are fast-growing it’s often a growth intertwined with subsidies and “too big to fail” protection; if they are innovation capitals it’s a form of innovation that generates fewer jobs than past technological advance. If they produce some intellectual ferment they have also cloistered our liberal intelligentsia and actually weakened liberalism politically by concentrating its votes."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/25/opinion/sunday/break-up-the-liberal-city.html?mc=aud_dev&mcid=keywee&mccr=domdesk&kwp_0=373121&kwp_4=1391323&kwp_1=612961&_r=0

Creating Inclusive Communities: Notes From a Conference

Daphne Politis — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 17:34:23 GMT

The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute annual conference is the region's premier gathering of planning professionals. This year's conference explored strategies for building inclusive cities in which everyone can thrive.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/92280?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04202017

Bricks and Clicks: A fantastical new world of high-tech, high-concept stores is here

Daphne Politis — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 14:38:33 GMT

Nobody knows what the future holds, but that has never stopped anyone trying to predict it. It’s a game countless US retailers are engaged in right now, while their industry shudders under the pressures of e-commerce, an overabundance of brick-and-mortar stores, and changing consumer spending habits. The ongoing “retail apocalypse” is forcing them to question the value of their physical stores.

https://qz.com/956745/retail-experiments-from-farfetch-nike-and-amazon-offer-visions-of-the-store-of-the-future/

Mapping America's Intractable Homelessness Problem

Daphne Politis — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 02:38:55 GMT

A new data project aims to help people understand one of the country’s most complex and enduring challenges.

https://www.citylab.com/housing/2017/04/map-america-homeless-crisis/522339/?utm_source=SFTwitter

Legalized Cannabis & Land Use Regulations in Portland, Oregon

Daphne Politis — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 22:38:16 GMT

For decades, Oregon has been a trailblazer in progressive cannabis culture. In 1973 it became the first state to decriminalize possession and use. In 1998, The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act allowed cannabis to be cultivated, purchased and used by medical patients for certain ailments, including severe pain, nausea, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and epilepsy.

http://theglobalgrid.org/legalized-cannabis-land-use-regulations-portland-oregon/

New Second Avenue Subway Stations Making Locals Smile

Daphne Politis — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:25:14 GMT

The "Q" subway extension, has been planned for 100 years, a ground breaking ceremony was held nearly 50 years ago, and excavation and construction has been going on for ten years. Now, the first phase, along Second Avenue, is open. The stations are light and airy, with generous art installations. The Station entrances are marked by glass canopies. Station levels are open and can be viewed from other levels. Author, architect, and realtor Carol Berens describes the stations in words and photos in the source article.

http://newyorkcity.urbdezine.com/2017/04/08/take-train-q/

Why green spaces are good for grey matter

Daphne Politis — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 15:01:34 GMT

Walking between busy urban environments and green spaces triggers changes in levels of excitement, engagement and frustration in the brain, a study of older people has found.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170410085324.htm#.WO6iRwE-meM.linkedin

From Oslo to Paris, these major cities have plans to go car-free

Daphne Politis — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 05:17:40 GMT

Here are 12 cities leading the car-free movement.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/these-major-cities-are-starting-to-go-car-free

How to Make Urban Highways Vanish

Daphne Politis — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 20:23:03 GMT

Thanks to this free open-source mapping tool, you can digitally demolish your city’s loathed urban expressways and reveal what lies beneath.

Imagine there’s no highway, it’s easy if you try—even easier, since now there’s a map for that. With this latest cartographic venture, you can make the concrete superslabs and soul-sucking underpasses that are the scourge of urbanists everywhere disappear with a mere click.

https://www.citylab.com/design/2017/03/the-magic-of-disappearing-highways-map/520263/?utm_source=SFFB

Women Walk the City: Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London

Daphne Politis — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 20:17:35 GMT

Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London

How women writers and artists, from Virginia Woolf to Sophie Calle, found inspiration and freedom by navigating cities on foot.

From the French verb flâner, the flâneur, or ‘one who wanders aimlessly,’ was born in the first half of the nineteenth century, in the glass-and-steel covered passages of Paris. When Haussmann started slicing his bright boulevards through the dark uneven crusts of houses like knives through a city of cindered chèvre, the flâneur wandered those too, taking in the urban spectacle. A figure of masculine privilege and leisure, with time and money and no immediate responsibilities to claim his attention, the flâneur understands the city as few of its inhabitants do, for he has memorised it with his feet. Every corner, alleyway and stairway, has the ability to plunge him into rêverie. What happened here? Who passed by here? What does this place mean? The flâneur, attuned to the chords that vibrate throughout his city, knows without knowing.

https://longreads.com/2017/03/02/flaneuse-women-walk-the-city-in-paris-new-york-tokyo-venice-and-london/?utm_content=buffer7498b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The MOST important urban planning book of our time

Daphne Politis — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 20:42:22 GMT

"It is NOT written by a planner, but instead by someone from outside the profession looking inward — Mr. Settis is an archaeologist and an art historian. Secondly, the topic is timely and universal — Venice’s current situation is a microcosm of issues, problems, difficulties, and debates taking place in historical and destination cities around the globe. The advantage of utilizing Venice as the focal point is that nearly everyone has either heard of the city or has a mental image of the city, even if they have never been there...The simple premise Mr. Settis articulates throughout his outstanding book is, “Why not focus on what made Venice great in the first place instead of trying to re-invent it or recreate it?” Don’t kill a city’s soul by turning it into something it was never meant to be. Not every city is meant to be a Las Vegas, an Orlando, or a Macao. This is a point that city leaders worldwide should be reminding themselves of constantly."

https://panethos.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/the-most-important-urban-planning-book-of-our-time/

The "missing middle" affordable housing solution

Daphne Politis — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 20:10:01 GMT

"Solutions to the affordability crisis lie on a spectrum. At one end, an increase in subsidized housing can help those with lower incomes. At the other end, an increase in housing of all kinds in walkable places can help alleviate the rising prices due to high demand for low supply. However, as I wrote about previously, one potential problem with this latter solution is that most developers and cities are building new housing for city living, but few, if any, are building housing for neighborhood living. Missing Middle Housing provides a critical middle solution: affordable-by-design workforce housing that helps meet the demand for walkable neighborhood living."

http://www.moderncities.com/article/2017-jan-the-missing-middle-affordable-housing-solution

Islamophobia Taking Over Planning Processes

Daphne Politis — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 19:57:08 GMT

A columnist attributes the success of President-elect Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric with a rise in potentially illegal land use decisions around the state of Virginia.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/90602?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-01122017

Happy International Women's Day! Female Traffic Light Signals in Melbourne

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:52:37 GMT

Female traffic light signals to go up at pedestrian crossings as Committee for Melbourne tackles "unconscious bias."

Happy International Women's Day! Placemaking with Feminine Energy in Mind

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:43:21 GMT

"A good time to highlight the significance of women and feminine energy in their communities."

The Massive Small movement of urban planning; an incremental approach

Daphne Politis — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:31:23 GMT

"An incremental approach is being championed by the London, UK-based, Massive Small Collective. The organization is at the centre of an emergent movement of international reach, based on "Massive Small" principles of urban development. The ethos underpinning the Massive Small approach to urban planning is that "many small interventions collectively have a massive impact."

http://thinkstr.co/resilient-cities-massive-small-approach/?utm_content=bufferbd782&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Chicago's Plazas for the People are missing one thing: People

Daphne Politis — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 18:11:08 GMT

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-people-plazas-emanuel-aldermen-chicago-edit-0301-jm-20170228-story.html

2017 AICP EXAM PREP CLASS - Registration is open!

Daphne Politis — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 23:13:16 GMT

2017 AICP EXAM PREP CLASS - Registration is open!

Interested in taking the AICP Exam this spring or fall and looking for some assistance or a refresher? APA-MA can help!

We are proud to again offer AICP Exam preparation courses for planning professionals who wish to take the exam in May or November 2017. This intensive multi-day training is offered only in the spring and has proven to be a valuable resource for AICP test takers in the past. We have assembled an esteemed array of lecturers to help guide you in studying for the exam.

Monday, March 20, 2017 (6-9 pm)

Exam Overview - Darlene Wynne, AICP

Fundamental Planning Knowledge & Administration - Wayne Feiden, FAICP

Current Planning - Brian Currie, AICP

Core Planning Values, Project Management, & Plan Making - Ralph Willmer, FAICP

Monday, March 27, 2017 (6-9 pm)

Planning Law - Pamela Brown, Esq., FAICP

Monday, April 3, 2017 (6-9 pm)

Transportation - Jonathan E. Church, AICP

Ethics - Peter Lowitt, FAICP & Neil Angus, AICP CEP, LEED AP BD&C, ND

Monday, April 10, 2017 (6-9 pm)

Public Participation, Advocacy Planning & Economic Development, Judi Barrett

Exam Review - Darlene Wynne, AICP

Location:

Burlington Town Hall Annex *
Meeting Room A
25 Center Street
Burlington, MA 01803
6:00-9:00 pm

*We are exploring ways to provide remote participation for those who may not be able to travel to Burlington. Please contact Darlene Wynne if you'd like to be notified about this option.

Registration:

To register, please email the following information to Darlene Wynne, AICP, APA-MA Professional Development Officer at dwynne@beverlyma.gov <mailto:dwynne@beverlyma.gov> .
*       Name
*       Company/Municipality/Organization/School
*       Address
*       Email Address
*       Phone

If you have already sent me your name, please reach out again to confirm your attendance.

The cost of the course is $100 (or $25.00 per class) and includes dinner.
Checks should be made payable to: APA-MA (Please bring checks to the first day of class).

<https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif>

REDUCED FEE AICP EXAM SCHOLARSHIP - still available!

There is still time to apply for an AICP Exam Fee Scholarship! Please see the APA-MA website (http://www.apa-ma.org/professional-development/aicp-exam-resources
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0013eCw6ual29h8es6BqVZH3UIKG5poG6bVxE5GtfmxWiXz
fDaaRW3AKuZ63YF3VzYkJ9Y6oE4ZTIU7ocPauMKTsqpOcMWOjY3xZ-oPqwaPuXaAx9OOtgpK2B5F
pOQJ4WWpghmY4-rr5RrrabDN4mV6Mx7RUaOyogFivmDgjSRX6pae92gDL0ctDwMue_c7vWhdrFZq
Q5YFTib_C0Q12V5nkpA0NscePhLh-1E8WLV_EMY=&c=OBjlJ7VP2T1bpLcCSfKq8Y3S9oPY_Uhea
J5jgyosW-9kZ1Z_Yer2mQ==&ch=33lU5va3u84NA_9b3Rpmd8Enl-rNWZcpUQskGVg5FiGitZrap
vp95Q==> ) for information and to download the application form. The final deadline is February 24, 2017.

Scholarship recipients pay reduced fees to AICP as follows:

*       First time AICP Exam applicants: $145 (combined $70 application and
$75 exam fee)
*       Previously approved AICP Exam applicants: $75 (exam fee only)

<https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif>

Darlene Wynne

APA-MA Professional Development Officer

Darlene Wynne, AICP

City of Beverly

Assistant Planning Director

Beverly City Hall

191 Cabot Street

Beverly, MA 01915

978-921-6000 x2342 (p)

978-921-6187 (f)

dwynne@beverlyma.gov

Trends in Zoning Reform

Daphne Politis — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:51:15 GMT

"Proactive steps toward zoning to encourage livable places. And by livable, I mean mixed-use, economically vibrant, convivial, walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly."

http://www.placemakers.com/2017/02/15/codes-study-trends-in-zoning-reform/

The New Urban Crisis

Daphne Politis — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:41:13 GMT

Richard Florida Takes a Detour

One of the most enthusiastic advocates for the urban resurgence, Richard Florida turns his attention to the segregation, inequality, and housing shortages that threaten to tear cities apart in The New Urban Crisis.

https://www.planetizen.com/node/91190?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-02162017

Whole Foods to Undergo Unprecedented Downsizing

Daphne Politis — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:39:38 GMT

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-08/whole-foods-tumbles-after-posting-sixth-straight-sales-decline

The Boston Globe, “Housing plan brings growing pains to Jamaica Plain”

Daphne Politis — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 23:29:06 GMT

Read here: http://bit.ly/2lksF6d

The Boston Globe’s Dante Ramos on Ben Carson, “housing savant”?:

Daphne Politis — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 23:28:01 GMT

Read here:

http://bit.ly/2knPJ3S

What if Bike Maps looked like Subway Maps?

Daphne Politis — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 19:06:05 GMT

Cool idea: Make maps for bike infrastructure as if the lanes, trails, and paths constituted a connected transit system.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/02/what-if-bike-maps-looked-like-subway-maps/512657/?utm_source=SFTwitter

The Venice Effect: Destination cities imperiled by mass tourism

Daphne Politis — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 14:35:49 GMT

"Mass tourism can be roughly defined as thousands of people going to the same destination, often at the same time of the year, and often arriving in large, consecutive human waves. Examples of these human waves of tourism include, but are not limited to those times when enormous cruise ships dock and disembark or when weekly turnover occurs at area wide lodging and vacation rentals.

Among the factors that have accelerated the impacts of mass tourism in recent years are:

Airbnb, VRBO, and similar websites which allow for homeowners to easily rent rooms or dwellings – this can balloon the number of visitors well beyond traditional lodging
Larger and more numerous cruise ships (for oceanfront locations)
Advent of deep discount and no-frill airlines making air travel more affordable
Second, third, or fourth vacation homes for the wealthy
Investor-scale buying of residential properties and converting them into vacation rentals"

https://panethos.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/the-venice-effect-destination-cities-imperiled-by-mass-tourism/

Hotel Meets Housing in Mixed Use Plans -- blurring the lines

Daphne Politis — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:27:48 GMT

"These days, it can be difficult to distinguish a cool, new apartment building from a cool, new hotel. And that’s no accident. More and more, the lines are blurring in the design of multifamily properties and hospitality projects. What it speaks to is an evolution in residential living that embraces the sophisticated and modern conveniences of a hotel.

Here’s one reason why: Millennials, currently the largest demographic in rental property and in the workforce. This is a generation that lives the upscale, fast-casual life (to borrow some restaurant language). Work life and non-work life blur for this crowd, which is less attached to material things and more about social experiences. As a result, a 24/7 live-work-play mentality is being integrated into the design and functionality of both hotels and apartment buildings."

For More: http://www.dlrgroup.com/insights/articles/murch-hotel-meets-housing-in-mixed-use-plans/

Getting Emotional about Urban Planning

Daphne Politis — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 02:15:09 GMT

"In the early 1990s, neighbors in South Sydney, Australia, fought over the plans for a former factory site in a mixed-race neighborhood. A local Aboriginal population wanted the site used for community facilities, including job training. An older white population wanted a park, with a police station....The Block, as the neighborhood is known, became the site of a fierce, racially charged planning dispute. The local government, after first moving to demolish the factory buildings, instead hired “social planning consultant” Wendy Sarkissian who organized months of meetings within the camps, culminating in a “speak-out” where residents bared their feelings to each other..."

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/emotions-city-planning-engagement

Employment Opportunities

Daphne Politis — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 01:22:57 GMT

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

(New!) OUTREACH COORDINATOR - UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
Cambridge, MA
Deadline to apply is Monday, November 21.

(New!) PLANNER/LAND USE ADMINISTRATOR - CITY OF CHELSEA DEPT OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
Chelsea, MA
Deadline to apply is Wednesday, November 23.

(New!) CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR - BOSTON CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK
Boston, MA
Deadline to apply is Friday, November 11 at midnight.

(New!) MANAGER OF TRANSIT POLICY - MBTA
Boston, MA

(New!) SOMERSTAT ANALYST - SOMERSTAT
Somerville, MA

(New!) DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS - COMMONWEALTH KITCHEN (CWK)
Boston, MA

(New!) GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM ANALYST (GIS) - TOWN OF CANTON
Canton, MA
Deadline to apply is Saturday, December 31.

(New!) URBAN REVITALIZATION SPECIALIST - CITY OF SOMERVILLE
Somerville, MA

(New!) SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER - MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (MPDC)
Boston, MA

(New!) DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT - NEIGHBORHOOD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING (NOAH)
Boston, MA

(New!) ADMINISTRATOR - YOUTH CREWS, TRAINING & EVALUATION - THE FOOD PROJECT
Lincoln, MA

(New!) SENIOR ASSOCIATE, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE - CERES
Boston, MA

(New!) TOWN PLANNER - TOWN OF ASHLAND
Ashland, MA

(New!) ASSISTANT PLANNER - CITY OF LOWELL
Lowell, MA

(New!) COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR - BROOKLINE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Brookline, MA
Deadline to apply is Friday, November 18.

Job openings in Chelsea

Daphne Politis — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:28:16 GMT

SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER - CITY OF CHELSEA

(New!) PLANNER/LAND USE ADMINISTRATOR - CITY OF CHELSEA DEPT OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
Chelsea, MA

RFP City of Taunton Master Plan

Daphne Politis — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 02:03:27 GMT

The City of Taunton, Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD) is seeking a qualified consultant to prepare a comprehensive Master Plan for the City of Taunton, MA.

An RFP can be obtained at OECD, 45 School Street Taunton, MA; or by calling (508) 821-1030; or by email at kshea@taunton-ma.gov.

The proposal release date is 10/17/2016 and the proposal deadline date is 11/18/2016 at 11:00 AM.

Best Regards,

Janine Peccini, AICP

Program Manager

Office of Economic and Community Development

City of Taunton | 45 School Street, Taunton MA 02780

Office (508) 821-1031

MIT Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning Colloquium: The Promise of Fair Housing: Developments in Planning, Law, and Civil Rights.

Daphne Politis — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:14:46 GMT

All talks will take place from 12:30-2:00pm in room 9-255 and are open to the public.

Tuesday, September 13:

Searching for Fair Housing

Lee Fennell, University of Chicago School of Law

Discussant: Bill Fischel, Dartmouth Economics Department

Friday, September 16:

HUD’s AFFH rule: what does it mean for local governments?

Raphael Bostic, USC Price School of Public Policy and Former HUD Assistant Secretary

Discussant: Jeff Lubell, About Associates

Tuesday, September 20:

HUD’s AFFH rule: what does it mean for community developers?

Ed Goetz, University of Minnesota

Discussant: David Harris

Tuesday, October 4:

Gentrification: increasing or decreasing racial integration?

Vicki Been, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Discussant: Janine Anzalota, Executive Director City of Boston Office of Fair Housing and Equity

Tuesday, October 18:

Next Steps for Fair Housing after the AFFH Rule

Phil Tegeler, Poverty, Race, Research Action Council

Discussant: Chrystal Kornegay, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development

Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP

Department of Urban Studies and Planning Massachusetts Institute of Technology

77 Massachusetts Ave., Room 7-337

Cambridge, MA 02139

eglenn@mit.edu

http://dusp.mit.edu/faculty/ezra-glenn | http://eglenn.scripts.mit.edu/citystate/

617.253.2024 (w)

617.721.7131 (c)

RFP for Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan, Dedham

Daphne Politis — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:07:25 GMT

The Town of Dedham has issued a new RFP for a Parks and Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. If interested email :

Richard McCarthy <rmccarthy@dedham-ma.gov>.

RFP for Comprehensive Plan for Fairhaven, MA

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 19:12:00 GMT

The Town of Fairhaven is seeking proposals from professional planning consultants for a Comprehensive Master Plan. The selected firm shall have demonstrated previous experience in providing specified services to similar projects, preferably in Massachusetts. A complete RFP may be obtained, without charge, by contacting the Planning Board Office at 508-979-4082, Ext. 9, email broth@fairhaven-ma.gov<mailto:broth@fairhaven-ma.gov> or on the Town Website at www.fairhaven-ma.gov under "Documents and Contracts". It is recommended that respondents to this request familiarize themselves with the detailed RFP. The deadline for submitting proposals to the Planning Board Office is Noon September 21, 2016. Proposers must submit ten (10) copies of their proposal and one digital copy. The Town reserves the right to reject any proposal deemed not to be in its best interest and waive minor technicalities. The budget for this project is $110,000. Postmarks, faxes, and email proposals will not be considered.

William D. Roth, Jr. AICP

Planning & Economic Development Director

Town of Fairhaven

RFP for Visioning for Shutesbury

Daphne Politis — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 15:12:18 GMT

Shutesbury, in the Amherst area, is seeking a qualified consultant to help engage the community in a visioning process as a first step in updating the Town’s 2004 Master Plan.

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/shutesRFPFINAL-MPWG.pdf

RFP for Town of Grafton

Daphne Politis — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:07:50 GMT

The Town of Grafton seeks a qualified consulting firm to work with the Town to develop a North Grafton Transit Village Master Plan for the area surrounding the Grafton Commuter Rail Station in North Grafton. The RFP also includes an alternative option for a Worcester Street Village Concept Plan.

Click here for RFP http://www.grafton-ma.gov/sites/graftonma/files/uploads/n_grafton_visioning_project_scope_june2016_final.pdf

FREE credits: TRB Webinar: Guidance for General Aviation Facility Planning

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 03:13:50 GMT

Mon., April 25, 2016 — 2:00 pm ET – 3:30 pm

TRB Webinar: Guidance for General Aviation Facility Planning

ACRP Report 113: Guidebook on General Aviation Facility Planning Guidance
· Summarize how the guidebook can help translate anticipated activity into facility requirements

Register: https://www.trb.org/main/webinaremailcheck.aspx?fdid=4b28aef8-0680-4845-ba16-e8292ae036b7&Wid=1808751975743207426

FREE APA: Transforming Everyday Spaces into Places for Play for 1.5 AICP CM credits

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 03:11:33 GMT

Tues., April 19, 2016 — 5:30 pm ET – 6:30 pm

APA: Transforming Everyday Spaces into Places for Play

Presenter: Naudy Martinez, KaBOOM!

People don't just want great parks and playgrounds; they also want a complete reimagining of what urban spaces and places look like. Unfortunately, getting enough play time can be especially difficult for children growing up in economically challenged communities. Playability, the extent to which a city makes it easy for all kids to get balanced and active play, is one way to address this.

Through initiatives like PLAY 60, Play On and the Playful City USA program, KaBOOM! is encouraging communities to devise creative and easy ways for kids and families to participate in play. This presentation will show examples of projects that create opportunities for kids to play along the way and make city streets more complete, communities more equitable, and kids and families healthier.

FREE Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) sessions for 1.5 AICP CM credits

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 03:09:45 GMT

*** Sit at your desk and earn CM credits. All are free but require registration

Wed., April 6, 2016 — 2:00 pm ET – 3:30 pm

RB Webinar: Effective Emergency Management Preparedness for Airports of all Sizes

ACRP Report 103: Integrating NIMS (National Incident Management System) for Personnel and Resources at Airports
· ACRP Report 112: Airport Terminal Incidence Response Planning

Register: https://www.trb.org/main/webinaremailcheck.aspx?fdid=88b7ea1e-b0b8-45f2-aa7d-0cb6d28c3d73&Wid=3939611007950299137

RFP for Town of Ayer Master Plan

Daphne Politis — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 20:37:20 GMT

Town of Ayer Master Plan Project RFP Advertisement REISSUED 3-1-2016.docx

REISSUED Town of Ayer RFP for Master Plan Consultant Services.docx

The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development is soliciting stakeholder input for their review of 400 CMR 2.00, 43D Local Expedited Permitting.

Daphne Politis — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 19:11:35 GMT

This is a notification to all Municipal Planners that pursuant to EO 562 the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development is reviewing 400 CMR 2.00, 43D Local Expedited Permitting. As part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Regulatory Review we are soliciting stakeholder input for any changes to this regulation.

The office will be considering any and all feedback on this regulation.

43D Regulations: http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/lawlib/400-499cmr/400cmr2.pdf

Please provide written feedback by March 15, 2016.

Please email comments to Erica Kreuter at Erica.kreuter@state.ma.us

If you prefer to provide comments anonymously please post them to the EOA&F: http://www.mass.gov/anf/regreview.html

Free AICP CM credits while sitting at your desk! March 17, 2016

Daphne Politis — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 03:49:45 GMT

· Report 121: Innovative Revenue — An Airport Guides.
· Report 141: Renewable Energy as an Airport Revenue Source

All sessions are FREE but you must register (do it now!). Some may require strong coffee.

Free AICP CM credits while sitting at your desk! March 15, 2016

Daphne Politis — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 03:46:59 GMT

Tues., March 15, 2016 — 2:00 pm ET

Air Service Strategies for Small, Medium, and Non–Hub Airports in Today's Competitive Environment

Moderated by: Mike Hainsey, Golden Triangle Regional Airport

· Report 142: Effects of Airline Industry Changes on Small– and Non–Hub Airports
· Synthesis 68: Strategies for Maintaining Air Service

Register: http://www.trb.org/ElectronicSessions/Blurbs/173835.aspx

All sessions are FREE but you must register (do it now!). Some may require strong coffee.

Free AICP CM credits while sitting at your desk! Feb. 26, 2016

Daphne Politis — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 03:44:21 GMT

Friday, February 26, 2016 — 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET

· Dara O'Byrne, Deputy Director for Land Use and Policy, Detroit Future City (DFC) Implementation Office
· Erin Kelly, Manager of Innovative Landscapes, Detroit Future City (DFC) Implementation Office
· Jenny Guillaume, Environmental Planner and Growing Green Initiative Coordinator in Baltimore
· Moderator: Jim Schwab, AICP, APA Hazards Planning Center Manager

Register: https://events-na12.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/1276969878/en/events/event/shared/default_template/event_landing.html?sco-id=1456756271&_charset_=utf-8

All sessions are FREE but you must register (do it now!). Some may require strong coffee.

RFP for Natick Targeted Economic Development Action Plan

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 15:29:37 GMT

If interested and to obtain a copy of the RFP, please contact Peter Roche in the Natick Procurement Office, at the address below or proche@natickma.org.

James Errickson

Director - Community & Economic Development Town of Natick

508-647-6450

Major Toronto transit plan unveiled

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 03:25:48 GMT

http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2016/02/16/major-toronto-transit-plan-to-be-unveiled.html

How Cheap Gas Complicates Long-Term Urban Planning

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 03:24:40 GMT

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/01/cheap-gas-oil-prices-planning-future/424905/

Teaching Urban Planning to Pre-Schoolers

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 03:23:40 GMT

http://www.planetizen.com/node/83805/teaching-urban-planning-pre-schoolers

Gov. Baker files bond bill with $200M for local road projects

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 03:22:50 GMT

http://www.mma.org/public-works-energy-a-utilities/16117-gov-baker-files-bond-bill-with-200m-for-local-road-projects

The Future Of Suburbia EXHIBIT at Okawa Lobby, MIT Media Lab

Daphne Politis — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 18:22:20 GMT

The Future of Suburbia exhibition will be a multimedia synthesis of multiple years of research that has involved students, faculty, and practitioners.

Exhibit is on from Jan 25, 2016 to Apr 2, 2016

http://cau.mit.edu/exhibit/okawa-lobby-mit-media-lab/future-suburbia

The demographic trends shaping American politics in 2016 and beyond

Daphne Politis — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 01:13:10 GMT

“The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown,” by Paul Taylor and Pew Research Center, is being released this week in a paperback edition that includes nearly 100 pages of new text, charts and updates to the original 2014 hardcover edition. Here, Paul Taylor shares eight takeaways from the book’s all-new opening chapter, “Political Tribes.”

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/27/the-demographic-trends-shaping-american-politics-in-2016-and-beyond/

How Ljubljana Turned Itself Into Europe's 'Green Capital'

Daphne Politis — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 01:12:19 GMT

A booming, car-free downtown and underground waste disposal facilities show how a small city can lead the way on sustainability.

http://www.citylab.com/design/2016/02/how-ljubljana-turned-itself-into-europes-green-capital/458934/

Landmarks of Boston, in Trouble

Daphne Politis — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 01:11:17 GMT

The future of both the Citgo sign in Kenmore Square and the Old Northern Avenue Bridge are suddenly in question.

http://www.citylab.com/design/2016/02/boston-landmarks-citgo-northern-avenue-bridge/458916/

RFP Master Plan, Natick, MA

Daphne Politis — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:59:01 GMT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

TOWN OF NATICK MASTER PLAN

The Town of Natick invites the submission of proposals for the procurement of consulting, planning, engineering, design and related services for the completion of the Natick 2030 Comprehensive Master Plan.

The Request for Proposals ("RFP") may be obtained from the Procurement Office, Natick Department of Public Works Building, Second Floor, 75 West Street, Natick, MA 01760 (email: proche@natickma.org, phone 508-647-6438) during normal business hours beginning on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. A Pre-Proposal Meeting is scheduled for February 1, 2016 at 10:00AM in the Edward H. Dlott Meeting Room, Natick Town Hall second floor.

Proposals shall be submitted by 1:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time), Wednesday, February 17, 2016, to the Procurement Office at which time and place all Proposals will be opened.

RFP: North Station Area Transportation Plan

Daphne Politis — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 22:46:00 GMT

Due Date	02/12/2016 12:00
Contact	James.Fitzgerald@boston.gov

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (“BRA”) is issuing a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for a consultant team to prepare a transportation Action Plan (“the Plan”) for the North Station area which is a rapidly growing area of Boston, with transportation systems that already experience very high levels of demand. This planning process will be managed jointly by the BRA and Boston Transportation Department (“BTD”).

Click here for more information: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/work-with-the-bra/rfps-rfqs-bids/rfp-listing-page?id=68

RFP: Value Capture Financing Study

Daphne Politis — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 22:40:43 GMT

Request for Proposals
For a
Value Capture Financing Study

Metropolitan Area Planning Council Boston, Massachusetts

Proposal Due Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2016

RFP:

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP.pdf

Addendum: file:///Users/dp/Desktop/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP%20Addendum%20%231.pdf

Addendum #2:

file:///Users/dp/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Mail%20Downloads/8BB5209C-6ECF-4C2F-B6D4-3FF08F0C7E15/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP%20Addendum%20%232.pdf

Addendum #3

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP%20Addendum%20%233.pdf

Addendum #4

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP%20Addendum%20%234.pdf

Addendum #5

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/MAPC%202016%20Value%20Capture%20RFP%20Addendum%20%235.pdf

The Best Planning Apps for 2016

Daphne Politis — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 01:13:54 GMT

"Mobile apps can enhance civic engagement and advocacy in local governance and planning, make more efficient use of time in data collection and analysis for planners, and a slew of other functions."

http://www.planetizen.com/node/82996/best-planning-apps-2016

RFP: City of Beverly, Comprehensive Housing Plan

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:06:12 GMT

The City of Beverly is looking to engage a consultant to prepare a
comprehensive housing plan. Interested consultants can find the RFP here:

http://www.beverlyma.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/16-001-Housing-Consultant-RFP-.pdf

RFP: 8th Street Planning & Design Charrette (Traverse City, Michigan)

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 01:55:49 GMT

8th Street Planning & Design Charrette RFP

City of Traverse City, Michigan

Due: Jan. 26, 2016 2:00 PM

http://www.traversecitymi.gov/rfp.asp?id=169

Venture Café

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 01:55:13 GMT

Venture Café

Connecting the Innovation Community and expanding the definition of innovation and entrepreneurship.

http://vencaf.org/about-boston/

RFP: Master Facilities and Master Plan, Brockton, MA

Daphne Politis — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 01:34:53 GMT

http://www.brockton.ma.us/docs/default-source/procurement-postings/facilities-study-master-plan-rfp.pdf?sfvrsn=0

GSD reaching out to employers to help connect with summer interns and full time hires.

Daphne Politis — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 00:21:58 GMT

You're invited!

Harvard GSD is actively reaching out to employers to help you connect with summer interns and full time hires. We hope that you may want to take advantage of this free employer service.

The GSD Virtual Career Fair will be held from January 15-24, 2016. There is no need for you to come to Cambridge to participate. Simply post your anticipated summer internships for returning students and full-time job openings for May 2016 graduates online and Career Services will promote your firm/organization to GSD students.

We will be utilizing our online job posting system, CREATE for the Virtual Career Fair. Only Harvard GSD students will be able to access these particular listings, ensuring that you receive resumes (and design sheets, if applicable) from qualified candidates. Students will send application materials directly to you.

To participate in this online event, log on to your employer account to post positions.

If you already activated your account, please sign in at the employer login page of CREATE.
Your username is your email address: daphne@community-circle.com

If you have not yet activated your CREATE account yet, please go to the employer login page of CREATE.
Click the "Forgot Password" link at the bottom of the page. An email will be sent to you to create a password within 24 hours.

After logging in, please be sure to review and complete your employer contact profile.

If you are having trouble logging on to CREATE, please contact Anne Creamer at career@gsd.harvard.edu with any questions.

We welcome your participation in the 2016 Virtual Career Fair.

Warm regards and happy holidays,

Meryl Golden
Director of Career Services

Anne Creamer
Career Services Coordinator

Urban planning gifts for the holidays (for your favorite planner(s) which may be yourself)!

Daphne Politis — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:18:32 GMT

https://www.planetizen.com/store

Need for volunteers: Mentor 6-8 graders in Hingham or Malden to think about the future of cities

Daphne Politis — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:14:59 GMT

Are you looking for a chance to volunteer your time and passion for planning to give back? Here is your opportunity!

Two schools are participating in the Future City Competition<http://futurecity.org/> and need mentors to work with 6-8 graders at the Derby School in Hingham or the Ferry Way School in Malden. The schools has been participating in the Future City Competition for years (at least a decade) and the kids there are always respectful and enthusiastic - whoever volunteers will have a great time!

Here's a little about the contest and what would be needed from mentors. In short, students grades 6-8 envision their dream city of the future. Then they present their dream cities by designing the following:
*         A virtual model of the city using SimCity software
*         A narrative describing their city and further discussing how their city deals with the specific issue selected as the theme for the year's competition. This year the theme is solid waste management.
*         A scale model of their city made primarily from recycled materials
*         A 7 minute presentation about their city, followed by answering 7 minutes of questions from a panel of judges. The centerpiece of the presentations is the model, but students also prepare display boards, flip charts, handouts and other materials.

This is a perfect role for Planners to advise and inspire students to think about their ideal city of the future! I hope you can take advance of this great opportunity! For more information or to volunteer, please contact: Kathleen Malone kmalone@derbyacademy.org<mailto:kmalone@derbyacademy.org>

RFP: Strategic Asset Plan, Brookline, MA, PROPOSAL DUE: Jan. 21, 2016

Daphne Politis — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:20:34 GMT

Click here for RFP and related info:

http://www.brooklinema.gov/bids.aspx?bidID=44

TRB Webinar: Planning for Climate Change Adaptation at Airports (1.5 CM credits). Tues, Dec. 1, 2015

Daphne Politis — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:18:05 GMT

FREE TRB webinar to view at your desk for AICP CM credit Tues., December 1

TRB Webinar: Planning for Climate Change Adaptation at Airports (1.5 CM credits)

TRB will conduct a webinar on Tues., December 1, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM ET that will feature research conducted by TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). The research discusses the need for conducting climate change risk assessments at airports, and how to plan for adaption and resilience to mitigate such potential risks.

Webinar is free, but participants must register in advance. Go to http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/173230.aspx and click on red Register Now button.

FREE APA web conferences on December 10, 2015 (Earn AICP CM credits sitting at your desk)!

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:54:54 GMT

Thurs., December 10: "AARP Livability Index," sponsored by Plan4Health. Please join the Plan4Health community and AARP for a discussion and demonstration of the Livability Index. The Livability Index is a signature initiative of the Public Policy Institute to measure the quality of life in American communities across multiple dimensions: housing, transportation, neighborhood characteristics, environment, health, opportunity, and civic and social engagement. An interactive, easily navigated website, the Livability Index allows users to compare communities, adjust scores based on personal preferences and learn how to take action to make their own communities move livable. Earn 0.5 AICP CM credit. Click on AARP Livability Index to register.

FREE APA web conferences on December 10, 2015 (Earn AICP CM credits sitting at your desk)!

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:52:52 GMT

Thurs., December 10: "Hazard Mitigation Implementation," sponsored by the Planning Information Exchange. The Planning Information Exchange (PIE) steering committee is running the Hazard Mitigation Implementation webinar, offering an in-depth look at hazard mitigation implementation. Two experienced professionals will discuss how their communities translated mitigation goals into achievements in two very different environments, Colorado and North Carolina. Learn what makes for successful implementation of mitigation goals for flood, wildfire, and other major hazards. Earn 1 AICP CM credit. Click on Hazard Mitigation Implementation to register.

APA announces $2.25 million in funding to 17 new local coalitions in a second round of grants through the Plan4Health Initiative

Daphne Politis — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:35:30 GMT

Today, APA announces $2.25 million in funding to 17 new local coalitions in a second round of grants through the http://www.plan4health.us initiative. Projects will address chronic disease through planning strategies focused on healthy eating, active living, and social equity. Coalitions — anchored by APA chapters and affiliates of the American Public Health Association — were selected after a competitive review process. With 18 existing coalitions they will serve 35 communities across the country.

Attend a Boston 2030 Transportation Ideas Roundtable

Daphne Politis — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:43:22 GMT

There will be childcare, food, and interpretation in Spanish and Chinese.

Saturday, November 14, 12:00-2:30 PM, Quincy School, 885 Washington Street, Chinatown
Thursday, November 19, 6:00-8:30 PM, Community Center, 6 Cummins Highway, Roslindale

RSVP: http://goboston2030.org/idea-roundtables/

Attend the Boston 2030 Parks and Public Spaces Open House

Daphne Politis — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 19:57:34 GMT

The City of Boston is developing its first citywide plan in 50 years! They would like to hear from people regarding how to improve Boston with parks and public spaces.

Share your VISION by answering a few questions at http://imagine.boston.gov

Attend the OPEN HOUSE

Monday, November 16
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM (drop in anytime)
@ Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington Street, Dudley Square

Sign up for IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 updates

Daphne Politis — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 19:51:23 GMT

If you want to be kept in the loop, you need to sign up to receive emails (as well as to give your "big idea" regarding how to improve Boston in the future): http://imagine.boston.gov

APA Private Planning Practice Handbook

Daphne Politis — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:26:27 GMT

The APA Private Practice Division has produced an exclusive division member-only benefit: the Private Planning Practice Handbook, an outstanding publication with insightful information for prospective, novice, and seasoned planning consultants.

Topics include as "Organizing the Planning Consulting Business," "Project Management," "The Personal Side of Consulting," and many useful templates, including a sample agreement for services.

Division members may receive their PDF copy by sending a request to info_private@planning.org.

Not a member yet? Join today! Annual division membership is only $25.

Town of Barnstable Downtown Hyannis Parking Study (RFP)

Daphne Politis — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 22:09:37 GMT

file:///Users/dp/Desktop/Parking%20Consultant%20RFP%2010%2020%2015%20FINAL.pdf

Peabody Facade & Signage Improvement Manual (RFP)

Daphne Politis — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 19:26:52 GMT

The City of Peabody is seeking proposals from qualified urban designers to produce a comprehensive facade and signage improvement manual. The guide will be developed with a primary focus on the downtown business corridor and a secondary focus on other commercial districts. The manual will establish specific design standards for use by residents, business owners, and developers. Overall, this project will provide a much-needed guide for the City's efforts to promote high-quality, architecturally appropriate fa?ade and signage design standards.

The RFP can be downloaded at the following link: http://bit.ly/1HkJ4uM

The consultant will be selected by a committee on an evaluation of the most advantageous proposal, price, and other factors. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

1.       Professional qualifications and availability.

2.       Prior experience and familiarity with providing fa?ade and signage design services.

3.       Quality of services provided.

4.       Cost/Fee for services.

Sealed RFP responses must be received by the Office of Community Development and Planning no later than 12:00 noon on Friday, July 10, 2015. For additional information regarding this RFP, please contact Pedro Soto at pedro.soto@peabody-ma.gov or (978) 538-5783.

Please feel free to forward this information to interested parties.

Proposals (One unbound original, three bound copies and an electronic PDF format via email) shall be submitted, in a sealed envelope, to:

Pedro Soto, City Planner

Office of Community Development and Planning

City of Peabody

24 Lowell

Peabody, MA 01960

Best regards, Pedro
Pedro Soto, City Planner
City of Peabody
Office of Community Development & Planning
24 Lowell Street
Peabody, MA 01960

(978) 538-5783
Pride in Peabody

MIT pursues transformative research on water and food: Summer 2015

Daphne Politis — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 01:59:53 GMT

MIT is playing a key role in helping to ensure the sustainability of human civilization into the future. Across the Institute, and across the world, faculty and students are pursuing transformative research to address the urgent challenges of water and food.

See: http://spectrum.mit.edu/category/issue/2015-summer/

Cambridge City-wide Plan (RFP)

Daphne Politis — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 01:14:09 GMT

Cambridge has published its Request for Proposal for its City-wide Plan.

See: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/News/2015/04/draftcitywideplanningscopeanddeliverables.aspx

Boston Master Plan (RFP)

Daphne Politis — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 19:15:00 GMT

Imagine Boston 2030... Boston's last master plan was completed 50 years ago in 1965! The City has released a Request for Proposals.

See here for more information and RFP: http://imagine.boston.gov

Job Posting

Daphne Politis — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 22:14:59 GMT

Anderson Robbins Research have four positions in their Boston office. See link:

http://www.andersonrobbins.com/careers/.

Congratulations to Scott Turner, Vice President of MACP for becoming APA Sustainable Communities Division Chair

Daphne Politis — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 18:45:01 GMT

Scott Turner has taken on the position of APA Sustainable Communities Division Chair. We wish him luck on his new endeavor (and on keeping up both with MACP and APA :). Please see an excerpt of his message below.

"I am excited to assume the position of Chair of the Sustainable Communities Division. The Division’s dedicated and passionate group of members and volunteers have worked extremely hard to build it into one of the strongest Divisions within APA. Over the past few years, the Division has experienced tremendous growth in a number of areas and has shown strong leadership in promoting sustainability both within the Division and throughout APA. The Division is still fairly young and is in the process of further developing many of these programs and the progress so far has been remarkable.

I am extremely optimistic about the growth and future of our Division. We have great people involved that have brought us this far already. We are hopeful that more of you will join us as we continue to expand the Division and all of our initiatives. I truly feel that the value of membership in any organization is dependent on the level of involvement of individual members. Please feel free to contact me or any member of our executive committee if you have interest in getting more involved with the Division. We have opportunities for involvement with any of the initiatives I have described above.

I look forward to working with you all over the next couple of years. Please feel free to contact me directly at sturner@nitscheng.com if you have any comments, questions, or concerns."

Open Streets Pittsburg!

Daphne Politis — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 19:55:54 GMT

http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/features/open-streets-pgh-a-wild-success-see-it-in-photos-here/