District Management for Downtown Vitality

Ingredients and Recipes for Success

Ben Forman, Andre Leroux and Elise Rapoza
Commercial districts need a high volume of foot traffic to support thriving small businesses. Supplemental district management services can dramatically increase this pedestrian activity. In recent years, there has been widespread interest in forming district management organizations (DMOs) to provide these services in all types of communities throughout the commonwealth. By unpacking the toolset Massachusetts read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Community Capital for Small Businesses

A Study of the CDFI and CDC Ecosystem in Massachusetts

Matt Brewster, Meaghan Phillips and Elise Rapoza
Prepared in partnership with P2 Advisors, this new study explores small business lending services provided by federally certified Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) and state certified Community Development Corporations (CDCs). Through a survey of 22 CDFIs and CDCs, we find these organizations doubled capital deployment to Massachusetts’ underserved small business with federal recovery funds. However, read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Empowering Cities to Accelerate Equitable Growth

A State Policy Blueprint for Inclusive Municipal Contracting

Ben Forman, Angelia Heimsoth, Priya Lane, Miles Roper and Oren Sellstrom
Prepared in partnership with Lawyers for Civil Rights, this study surveys the landscape for inclusive municipal procurement in Massachusetts. The analysis reveals large racial and ethnic disparities in public contracting and surfaces changes in state law that will empower cities to implement effective supplier diversity policies. Building on a 2021 MassINC report highlighting the economic imperative to support read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Economic Development, Gateway Cities

From Transactional to Transformative: The Case for Equity in Gateway City Transit-Oriented Development

Tracy A. Corley, PhD, Ben Forman, Elizabeth Haney and Catherine Tumber
Transformative Transit-Oriented Development recognizes that equity is the key to transforming cities and towns in Massachusetts, and the country. In Massachusetts, a decades long economic boom has not always reached Gateway Cities, yielding uneven growth and investment that have deepened inequities across places, races, classes and cultures. The coronavirus pandemic has amplified these disparities. To read more
Topic(s): Strong Communities, Economic Development, Transportation, Gateway Cities, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Using 40R and 43D to Stimulate Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

Elizabeth Haney
This policy brief is the third in a series exploring state and local level approaches to generating transformative transit-oriented development (TTOD) in Gateway Cities. This brief examines two additional state incentive programs—43D Expedited Permitting and 40R Smart Growth Zoning—as tools to spur Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Gateway Cities read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Transportation, Gateway Cities, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Drafting an Action Plan for Early College Expansion

Ben Forman
Building on the June 2019 MassINC report exploring the promise of Early College High Schools, this discussion paper examines strategies to sustainably finance these programs. The analysis describes the additional costs associated with delivering the model with fidelity, and looks at how leading Early College states invest funds to help school districts and their college read more
Topic(s): Education

Prioritizing Equitable Growth Through Fare Policy

Elizabeth Haney, Tracy A. Corley, PhD and Ben Forman
This policy brief explores the concept of fare equity and demonstrates why the current commuter rail fare structure makes train travel uneconomical for many Gateway City residents, especially those living in the immediate station areas. The brief also provides a deeper understanding of why affordable fares are a critical precursor for transformative transit-oriented development and read more
Topic(s): Transportation, Research, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Local Accountability

An Untapped Strategy for Advancing Student Achievement in Massachusetts Public Schools

Ben Forman
This volume combines the three papers in the local accountability series in one document with an executive summary. The five-page executive summary encapsulates the findings and recommendations and provides further context to demonstrate why strengthening local accountability is a powerful imperative for Gateway Cities. read more
Topic(s): Education, Gateway Cities

Combining HDIP and OZ for Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

Tracy A. Corley, PhD and Andrés Paxton-Martin
This policy brief is the second in a series exploring state and local level approaches to generating transformative transit-oriented development (TTOD) in Gateway Cities. Here, our thinking is that the state’s commuter rail system would receive much more use—and spur greater, more transformative Gateway City investment—if rail station areas were primed for compact TOD. The read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Transportation, Gateway Cities, Research, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Governing Local Accountability

The Health of School Committees and Councils in Gateway Cities

Ben Forman and Connor Lentz
Paper two documented a dearth of local account­ability practice in Gateway Cities. The third and final installment in our series, this report traces the absence of robust local accountability in these communities to fundamental weaknesses in governing bodies at both the school and the district levels. The authors conclude with policy recommendations to position school read more
Topic(s): Education, Gateway Cities
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