The Gateway Cities Journal
News and information for leaders who care about Gateway Cities
The Gateway Cities Journal is a biweekly news publication from MassINC’s Gateway Cities Innovation Institute. To subscribe, click here. To contribute news or comments, please email MassINC.
Recent Issues of the Gateway Cities Journal:
The Gateway Cities Journal
Gateway City leaders are collectively advocating for shared priorities until the final bell
Mayors and their housing and economic development directors gathered on Beacon Hill this week for the institute’s annual Gateway Cities Leadership Summit. While Senators geared up for the main event of the biennial session—the economic development bill debate—Gateway City leaders huddled with Ed Augustus, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities; Ashley Stolba, Undersecretary of
Follow the lead of Gateway Cities on school integration
The Gateway Cities Journal
Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education and 50 years after the Boston school busing crisis, a new report by the state’s Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RAIC) finds nearly two-thirds of Massachusetts schools are racially segregated. MassINC sought to draw renewed attention to this issue, as well as growing segregation by income, with the
Like the Celtics, Gateway City legislators are working to finish strong
The Gateway Cities Journal
As the Celtics quietly steeled themselves for the final stage of the banner 18 quest, legislative activity on Beacon Hill reached a crescendo this week. The budget process moved to conference committee, the housing bond bill got its first floor votes, and the joint committee on economic development reported out a redraft of the Governor’s economic development
Summer preview: a sales tax holiday worth celebrating
The Gateway Cities Journal
Last week, the Gateway City Innovation Institute’s Andre Leroux joined a panel of leaders appearing before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies to testify in support of House Bill 228/Senate Bill 130, the Downtown Vitality Act (DTVA). The hearing was called to review omnibus economic development legislation filed by Gov. Healey in
Will April showers bring May flowers?
The Gateway Cities Journal
April rained federal money down on Massachusetts. Three new funding opportunities are especially promising for Gateway Cities: Solar for All. Massachusetts recently received $156 million from this Inflation Reduction Act program to help low-income communities install solar. Solar for All provides zero interest loans for residential projects, as well as financing for public housing authorities
Musings on the House budget, the SOA, families, and the state’s long-term fiscal health
The Gateway Cities Journal
Baseball at Fenway, runners arriving for the Marathon, with these sure signals that Beacon Hill is moving into full budgeting mode, out came the eagerly anticipated FY 2025 budget from the House Ways and Means committee last Wednesday. The bill gives us a first glimpse at how the legislature will respond to the state’s declining
Rep. Roy’s a Champion for Gateway City Students
The Gateway Cities Journal
Hundreds of students from Gateway Cities across the commonwealth descended on the State House last Wednesday for Early College Day. The power of so many students giving voice to the life-changing opportunities that they have received was moving. For Lt. Governor Driscoll—whose leadership has been integral to the initiative’s growth and success—it must have been
First take: Gov. Healey’s economic development bill
The Gateway Cities Journal
There’s a lot to like in Governor Healey’s economic development bill. The wide-ranging law includes several smart provisions on issues that matter to Gateway Cities, most notably, small business and inclusive entrepreneurship. But there are also some missing components, and big existential questions about our Commonwealth’s priorities and needs that merit reflection, as the bill
New Bedford’s leadership on housing is a model for Gateway Cities
The Gateway Cities Journal
A new analysis of local and regional housing needs by New Bedford’s Regeneration Project marks an inflection point in the statewide housing crisis. Produced by MassINC, this in-depth report provides insight into rapidly escalating housing costs, and actions that private and public sector leaders in Greater New Bedford can take to get to the root