How a Smart Growth District Changed Downtown Reading
The Smart Growth Zoning and Housing Production Act, also known as Chapter 40R, has had mixed results. But the Boston suburb of Reading has embraced embraced it, with positive outcomes.
If She Wins, Healey Can’t Coast on Housing Choice
The jury’s still out on Gov. Charlie Baker’s signature housing initiative, but the signs aren’t good it’s up to meeting the sheer scale of Massachusetts’ homes shortage.
A Harder Line on Housing Production?
A new analysis shows what’s at stake under Massachusetts’ transit-oriented zoning reform, potentially opening up nearly 31,000 acres near MBTA stations in Greater Boston for multifamily development.
Want to Solve the Housing Crisis? Upzone the Suburbs
A new Brookings-Boston Foundation report goes beyond bemoaning the sorry state of housing affordability in Boston and other similarly fast-growing cities around the country to propose a truly bold measure.
Fitchburg Grant Seen as Big Boost to Downtown Development
A $3 million infrastructure grant will help transform downtown Fitchburg, in part, by leveraging up to $100 million in private investments and supporting housing and mixed use development planned in the city’s “smart growth” district.
Smart Growth Zoning Falls Short of Expectations
According to DCHD records, 42 cities and towns have now adopted smart growth zoning, covering over 2,300 acres which can accommodate 22,213 dwelling units. But so far only about 3,750 dwelling units have been built or permitted, an increase of about 1,250 units since 2014.
A Complex Recipe for Housing Financing
Unlike in Boston’s red-hot real estate market, the market-rate units in Gateway Cities cannot cross-subsidize affordable units due to relatively low rents.
City of Champions Looks for a Winning Streak
In addition to excellent highway access, Brockton has three Commuter Rail stations, offering 30-minute trips to Boston’s South Station. Yet despite these amenities, economic success has been elusive. There are signs that this will change.
Woburn Mall Set to Add Cinema, Housing
Partial demolition of the Woburn Mall could begin in March as part of a redevelopment that will add a cinema complex, new restaurants and retailers and 350 apartments at the 23-acre property.
40R a Failure?
When you are grappling with a problem as big as Massachusetts’ housing crisis, incremental, small-bore solutions just won’t cut it. In fact, such feel good efforts may even do more harm than good, creating the illusion of real action when nothing much is really being done.
The Right Side of the Tracks
Woburn’s commercial real estate market has benefited from proximity to Massachusetts’ busiest highway interchange at Routes I-93 and I-95, turning this former factory town into fertile territory for industrial parks, hotels and a robust retail trade.
