Christmas in the City

The Gateway Cities Journal

Policy Center
Dec 20, 2019 Policy Center

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Yesterday morning downtown Haverhill was bustling. People hustled in and out of buildings, dodging the frigid winter breeze. The storefronts were done up nicely for the holidays, but something twinkling brightly in the sky is what really drew the eye. This was no oversized tree wearing multicolored bulbs, or lighted wreaths dangling from telephone poles.

How Gateway City schools capitalize on new funding

Gateways Episode 45

Policy Center
Dec 17, 2019 Policy Center

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This week on Gateways, we look ahead to implementation of the Student Opportunity Act. Passed by the legislature in November, the new law will provide Gateway City schools with millions of dollars in additional state aid beginning in 2020.

Unpacking the promise of ranked-choice voting in city elections

Gateways Episode 44

Policy Center
Dec 11, 2019 Policy Center

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In this episode of Gateways, we take a high-speed journey through the land of ranked-choice voting (RCV). Worcester-native Howie Fain helps us understand how RCV leads to more diverse city councils and school committees. The second installment in our series on electoral reform and

Recapping the Seventh Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Summit & Awards

Catalyzing Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Policy Center
Dec 6, 2019 Policy Center

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The Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Summit & Awards—held each year between the November elections and the Thanksgiving holiday—has become a tradition for those who believe wholeheartedly in the power of our small to midsize regional cities. On November 20th, we returned to the DCU Center in Worcester for the seventh annual event. Our morning summit

Christopher Coes’ Four Crazy Ideas to Catalyze TOD

Gateways Episode 43

Policy Center
Dec 4, 2019 Policy Center

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MassINC recently held the Seventh Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Awards & Summit at the DCU Center in Worcester. Today’s episode brings you a highlight from the gathering—the morning keynote delivered by Christopher Coes, Vice President of Land Use and Development at Smart Growth America.

Support Our Gateway Cities Work

Help us create impact!

Policy Center
Dec 4, 2019 Policy Center

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Dear Friends, 2019 will go down as a year of promising advancement. From passage of the Student Opportunity Act to a historic board vote on Rail Vision, policies with the potential to make a tremendous difference to Gateway Cities gained real traction. Through the Gateways podcast, MassINC helped magnify the voices of Gateway City leaders. To sustain and build

MassForward: Advancing Democratic Innovation and Electoral Reform in Massachusetts

Event Recap

Policy Center
Nov 23, 2019 Policy Center

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At a well-attended Boston Foundation forum earlier this month, MassINC opened up a new area of research inquiry: the state of governance in Massachusetts. Years of work on a range of policy matters led us to believe that it was time to examine how we counter the trends negatively impacting state and local government. Fewer people are

Gateway City Leadership and Electoral Politics, Part I

Gateways Episode 42

Policy Center
Nov 19, 2019 Policy Center

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A new MassINC-Tisch College of Civic Life report examines the state of leadership and governance in Massachusetts. The groundbreaking study reveals a number of structural challenges, many of which are especially problematic for Gateway Cities. In the

Lighting up Lawrence: how one city is using public art to celebrate and continue its economic growth

Gateways Episode 41

Policy Center
Nov 13, 2019 Policy Center

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This week on Gateways, Tracy sits down with some of the members of Iluminación Lawrence, a public and private partnership responsible for lighting up Lawrence. The project’s soft launch in June unveiled LED light displays artistically illuminating the Casey Bridge and the face of the Ayer Mill Clock Tower.

Massachusetts government is stubbornly unrepresentative

Report calls on Legislature to remedy structural forces that keep women, people of color, and Republicans from winning elected office

Policy Center Press Release
Nov 13, 2019 Policy Center Press Release

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A new report by the nonpartisan think tank MassINC demonstrates that elected leaders in Massachusetts fail to represent the state’s diversity, the capacity to make laws and policy is far too concentrated in a few leaders, and limited electoral competition, declining state and local news coverage, and the absence of a strong opposition party weaken