Back in October, the Boston City Council approved a proposed text amendment to the municipal zoning code that would make an exception to the city's off-street parking requirements for new affordable housing construction. The amendment then advanced to the Boston...
Year: 2021
Year: 2021
What’s included in the new Boston Equitable Procurement Plan?
Striving for equality in business is often easier said than done. Many times, minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) have difficulty getting started. In an effort to level the playing field, the city of Boston has created a plan to support diversity in...
What would a challenge to the Boston census mean for developers?
While administering and coordinating a census can seem like a tedious and trivial exercise, the census can help people in many areas determine the needs of a community. If the information is inaccurate, it can lead to underfunded areas and infrastructure that cannot...
What’s included in the Imagine Boston 2030 initiative?
Over the last few years, city planners and other interested parties have proposed and developed a plan to create a more intentional series of communities in Boston. Now that the final plan is in place, residents are starting to see Boston move into the implementation...
Boston authorities announce five projects
The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BDPA) Board of Directors approved five development projects this June. The projects include: Campus improvements at Faulkner Hospital. The facility is moving forward with its project to improve and expand its inpatient...
The benefits of building green
Real estate developers in Boston and throughout the world are learning the challenges and benefits of implementing environmentally friendly "green" policies in the design and construction of new projects. Those who implement such policies often enjoy generous...
New income-restricted housing units approved
In April, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approved four projects that could create or renovate 688 residential units. These units will be designated for "income-restricted" tenants. These projects will boost the local construction industry in the...
How to obtain a zoning variance for commercial real estate
Zoning laws serve an important function in our cities. But sometimes they can be extremely inconvenient for a business owner who wants to use their land for a particular purpose that’s not allowed by their city’s zoning code. Luckily, there is a process that allows...
Boston is about to see a wave of economic and climate resiliency projects
In early February, the Board of Directors of the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approved a series of housing projects. These projects are designed to support economic development and climate resiliency investments in several Boston neighborhoods....
Boston’s plans to protect buildings in the future
We like to think of Boston as a shining beacon on a hill. Although, it seems the bigger concerns for Bostonians aren’t the hills but the harbor and the rising seawater expected in the future. With climate change being an increasing concern, the Boston Planning &...
