Accelerating Inclusive Growth in the Pioneer Valley

A Prospectus for Transformative Economic Investment

Accelerating Inclusive Growth in the Pioneer Valley is an economic development prospectus for western Massachusetts. Prepared in partnership with Cambridge Econometrics, the analysis calls attention to the region’s competitive advantages in food science, advanced materials, and clean energy. The report makes the case for targeted state investment in the Pioneer Valley, and describes how a read more

Housing for All

Forward-Looking Strategies for a Growing New Bedford

This report exposes the impact of the statewide housing shortage on Gateway Cities with an in-depth examination of New Bedford’s residential market. Produced in partnership with the Regeneration Project, the analysis pinpoints the forces contributing to rapid cost increases and explores the impact of rising housing prices on the local and regional economy. Detailed estimates read more

In Pursuit of Greatness

Bold Strategies to Grow a Strong and Diverse Educator Workforce

The increasing diversity of students in Massachusetts makes growing a diverse educator workforce a critical policy goal for the Commonwealth. In recent years, state and local leaders have responded to this challenge with a variety of programs and policy changes. This report details these efforts and their considerable impact to date. However, the findings show read more

Criminal Justice Reform in Massachusetts

A Five-Year Progress Assessment

Produced in partnership with Boston Indicators, this report is the first systematic look at the impact of two landmark criminal justice reform laws passed in 2018. While the COVID-19 pandemic and data quality issues complicate the analysis, the report presents strong suggestive evidence that these laws led to significant reductions in incarceration without undermining public read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice

Connected Communities

Providing Affordable Housing Residents with Unfettered Access to Digital Opportunity in Massachusetts

Connected Communities explores strategies to close the digital divide in Massachusetts through targeted investments in affordable housing developments. Prepared in collaboration with the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP), the report builds on the 2022 MassINC-MACP digital equity action plan with a deeper look at the unique opportunities and challenges for these efforts in the affordable housing read more
Topic(s): Education, Housing
In a complementary discussion paper, we suggest Massachusetts can meet a growing need for skilled workers by weaving more robust career pathways into Early College programs. To demonstrate what this approach might look like in practical terms, MassINC partnered with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education to produce this blueprint for Early College health pathways. read more
Previous MassINC research shows Massachusetts’s relatively young Early College programs are demonstrating impressive performance increasing college access and persistence. This discussion paper looks at the potential to build on this success, leveraging Early College as a strategy to meet our growing need for skilled workers. We explore this opportunity through the lenses of developmental psychology read more
Since voters approved Question 1 in November 2022, several proposals to invest the surtax revenue in higher education have been presented. Legislators tasked with quickly allocating the proceeds from the ballot initiative in the FY 2024 budget have difficult choices to make. Their decisions will have long-term implications for higher education, and by extension, the read more
Topic(s): Education
Massachusetts’ Early College initiative is quietly establishing a new standard for rigorously evaluating a strategic effort that aspires to increase educational outcomes for students across the state. This research brief sheds light on this evaluation framework and the impressive performance that the methods reveal to date. We then surface unanswered research questions and evaluation challenges read more
Topic(s): Education
This report looks at how the built environment supports social interaction and the formation of social capital. We measure the “social infrastructure” provided by active streetscapes, ground-floor establishments, civic spaces and institutions, and public transportation in five Gateway City downtowns. Our analysis draws on information collected from walk audits, which were conducted in partnership with read more

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