With Thanksgiving only days away, we’re excited to share another roundup of what we’ve been up to at MassINC. Over the past two months, we’ve accomplished a lot: releasing multiple research reports from the MassINC Policy Center, welcoming a new editor to lead CommonWealth Beacon, and releasing several surveys through The MassINC Polling Group.
We also launched a brand-new website with refreshed branding, bringing greater cohesiveness to all three of our teams as we work together to make Massachusetts a place of inclusive economic opportunity and civic vitality.
Please enjoy the following highlights from our work. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!
MassINC Policy Center
NEW RESEARCH
The Gateway Cities Housing Monitor
The Policy Center released its highly anticipated, inaugural edition of the Monitor which provides Gateway City leaders, practitioners, and policymakers with the data and information they need to make informed decisions and measure progress over time. The Monitor will track housing market conditions in the 26 Gateway Cities and their suburbs by asking and answering critical questions on an annual basis.
The Massachusetts School-Centered Neighborhood Development Playbook
This new report outlines strategies and tactics that communities can employ to build more mixed-income neighborhoods and schools in tandem. Underpinning this approach is an understanding that neighborhood vitality and public school performance is intrinsically linked, yet our policy choices have siloed education improvement efforts from planning, housing, and community development. This report has the potential to lift educational outcomes while reducing longstanding racial and economic segregation in our public schools and neighborhoods.
EVENT RECAP
The 12th Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Summit
On Thursday, November 14th, over 250 attendees came together in Worcester for the 12th annual Gateway Cities Innovation Summit. Leaders and community members from across the state participated in a dynamic day of discussion and reflection focused on efforts to address housing challenges. We also recognized Gateway City innovators and champions at the leading edge of this work.
The Summit began with a presentation of the MassINC Policy Center’s inaugural Gateway Cities Housing Monitor, led by senior research associate, Elise Rapoza. Following the introduction of key findings from the report, Lowell City Manager Tom Golden, New Bedford chief operating officer Christina Connelly, and Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia shared their reactions to the report from a municipal perspective.
The Summit included three breakout sessions, offering a deeper exploration of the intersections between housing, education, transportation, and downtown vitality. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of leaders collaborating to address the state’s housing needs and highlighting how Gateway Cities can continue to drive economic growth in Massachusetts.
The event concluded with our Gateway Cities Innovation Awards Ceremony, celebrating those making outstanding contributions in the housing sector. Congratulations to our Innovation Award winners: Chelsea Housing Authority, the City of Everett, the Fall River and Methuen Housing Authorities, Way Finders, Westfield Legends, and Worcester Common Ground. We also honored the Cities of Lynn and Salem with the Mayor Carpenter Award for Excellence in Gateway City Leadership, and Secretary Ed Augustus and MassHousing with the Gateway City Champion Award.
Gateways to Tough Tech
Last month, MassINC, in collaboration with The Engine Accelerator, hosted a special convening focused on fostering regional economic development through Gateway Cities. The event brought together Gateway leadership, Tough Tech entrepreneurs, and real estate stakeholders to explore opportunities beyond traditional tech hubs. The discussions highlighted innovative approaches to leveraging regional assets, fostering economic growth, and building stronger connections between local communities and the tech sector.
Housing in Distress: A Community Conversation
On Tuesday, December 3rd, research director Ben Forman will join local officials and advocates at a town hall event hosted by The New Bedford Light. The event, held at the New Bedford Public Library, will feature a moderated discussion and Q&A session focused on housing in the Greater New Bedford area. Read more.
Stay tuned as the MassINC Policy Center team will be on the road to discuss key learning’s from the Gateway Cities Housing Monitor.
CommonWealth Beacon
Welcome Laura Colarusso
Earlier this month, Laura Colarusso succeeded Bruce Mohl as the new editor of CommonWealth Beacon. Following a nationwide search, Laura joins us with the experience, network, and leadership skills to lead our newsroom into its next chapter as we work to better serve our growing audience of readers, and the people of Massachusetts.
Laura comes to CommonWealth Beacon from Nieman Reports, an online and quarterly print publication with a mission of promoting and elevating journalistic standards. She has held leadership positions at GBH News in Boston, winning a regional 2020 Edward R. Murrow Award for the story “The Original Boys Club.”
Laura sat down with reporter, Jennifer Smith on a recent episode of the Codcast to introduce herself to our audience and share more about her vision for CommonWealth Beacon‘s journalism.
New Voices
In partnership with Civic Action Project (CAP) and the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP), CommonWealth Beacon published the first two op-eds from its collaborative training program. Katherine Pingeton and Luba Falk Feigenberg, were the first trainees to complete the New Voices program which is designed to train CAP and INP alumni in the basics of opinion writing to help develop their ideas into effective op-eds. Read Katherine’s op-ed here and Luba’s here.
NewsMatch 2024
For the first time, CommonWealth Beacon is participating in NewsMatch, a collaborative fundraising movement managed by the Institute for Nonprofit News to support independent, public service journalism. From now until December 31st, any donation amount is matched, allowing us to unlock additional funding opportunities to help expand our statewide coverage to more communities. Help us reach our year-end fundraising goal by donating today.
TOP ARTICLES
- Study explores rail link between Allston, Kendall Sq., and North Station
- MBTA estimates 25% of south-side commuter rail fares not being collected
- In Melrose, an experiment in hyper-local AI podcasting
POPULAR OPINION
- Mass. hospitals are teetering on the edge
- Why kids should read obituaries
- UMass Boston is heading in the wrong direction
TOP CODCAST EPISODE
The workforce ripple effects of Mass. ballot question
Jennifer Smith and Gintautas Dumcius sit down with the CommonWealth Beacon team, to discuss how the five questions on the Massachusetts ballot may impact the workforce. They also summarize arguments for and against the questions and reveal key financers of both sides.
The MassINC Polling Group
The MassINC Polling Group (MPG) released multiple polls around the presidential election: a set of 5 state-level polls in late September, and a final Massachusetts poll closer to election day. Since the election, MPG has been poring over the election returns and sharing analysis on CommonWealth Beacon, the Horse Race podcast, the Boston Globe, GBH News, and MassLive, among others.
MPG is wrapping up several projects as they prepare for 2025. They recently completed counting the entire Commuter Rail system for the MBTA and are finishing up data entry. They’re grateful to the team of counters for their hard work bringing this project to a successful conclusion.
They are also continuing their work on a host of policy topics, including transportation, education, and housing. MPG is actively seeking new clients and projects for the coming year.
If you’re interested in working with MPG, please email the team at info@massincpolling.com!
BY THE NUMBERS
To understand the 2024 results, hindsight is not 2020
Steve Koczela and Rich Parr break down why this year’s election results may be misleading when compared to the 2020 election in their analysis for CommonWealth Beacon‘s latest By the Numbers.
TOP HORSE RACE EPISODE
Episode 322: Don’t Shoot the Aquifer
Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith give their take on the 2024 vice-presidential debate, and the MBTA advancements overshadowed by a derailment. Then, Cape and Island’s climate reporter, Eve Zuckoff, shares her on-the-ground perspective of the Massachusetts National Guard’s proposal to build a machine gun range on Cape Cod. Listen.
