Living Cities has issued a report on lessons-learned in their work with anchor institutions. Over the last few years, cities have pushed harder on anchors to commit “time, treasure and talent” to fuel local economic development. Anchors have tried to do more, but often they’ve been subject to criticism for pursuing projects that were too
Latest Housing Report Card reinforces the case for transformative redevelopment
The Greater Boston Housing Report Card released last week shows that middle class families are increasingly priced out of Boston by a hostile housing market that vastly favors high-end development. Commonwealth magazine’s Paul McMorrow hammered home the point in a Boston Globe op-ed describing a “city with rapidly growing populations of both rich and poor
Drug courts work, but do they save money?
A new study published in the fall issue of the Journal of Criminal Justice looks at the effect of drug courts on confinement and finds that they reduce the incidence of jail stays by nearly half, and prison stays by more than one-third. Interestingly, however, drug courts did not reduce days spent in prison in
More evidence that prison education provides return on investment
Two new studies find positive effects from prison education. The first, a study of over 5,000 Florida inmates published in the October issue of the journal Crime & Delinquency, examined the impact of adult basic education (ABE) on post-release labor market success. The authors find that ABE participation is associated with higher levels of employment
MassINC to honor Gateway City Innovators
Champions of Transformative Redevelopment to receive awards at first annual Gateway Cities luncheon MassINC, together with leaders from the 26 Gateway Cities, will celebrate the innovative spirit of Massachusetts’ historic Gateway Cities by honoring five individuals and two organizations that have had a transformative impact on their communities. The awards will be presented at the
Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Director Benjamin Forman gives support for Transformative Redevelopment Legislation in Gateway Cities at Springfield hearing
Transcript of Remarks: Thank you Chairman Wagner and Chairwoman Candaras for this opportunity to share our ideas for strengthening the Commonwealth’s economy. From our founding in 1996, MassINC’s mission has been supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s middle class. With a focus primarily on state level policy, we have learned that we can
Gateway City leaders rally behind precedent-setting bill to encourage “transformative” development
New legislation supports projects that spur additional private investment in weak markets A new bill supporting high impact development projects in Gateway Cities – where the market gap between development costs and returns continues to deter investors– was heard September 10 in Springfield. Gateway City mayors from across the state and a host of community
CommonWealth editor Bruce Mohl moderates issues forum with candidates for mayor of Lawrence
Lawrence mayoral candidates Marcos Devers, Juan “Manny” Gonzalez, James Patrick O’Donoghue, and Daniel Rivera participated in an issues forum/debate Monday night hosted by Commonwealth Magazine, The Eagle-Tribune, and Rumbo Newspaper. The debate was moderated by Bruce Mohl, editor of Commonwealth Magazine. Gabrielle Gurley, Senior Associate Editor of Commonwealth Magazine, Keith Eddings, reporter at The Eagle-Tribune,
MassINC’s Gateway Cities Institute to host 2013 Innovation Awards Luncheon
Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish to speak on need for Transformative Investment in small, historic cities This first annual event celebrates the innovative spirit of the state’s historic Gateway Cities with an awards ceremony honoring organizations or individuals devoted to investments that transform communities. To be held on November 12th, 2013, the event will mark
California leads decline in prison population, but reentry reform is uncertain
Last month the Department of Justice announced a 1.7 percent decline in the estimated US prison population from 2011 to 2012, marking the third consecutive year of slight decreases. There were 1,571,013 inmates in federal and state prisons at the end of last year, which is not too far off the all-time high of 1,615,487