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

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

Building Communities of Promise and Possibility

State and Local Blueprints for Comprehensive Neighborhood Stabilization

Ben Forman and Alan Mallach
In recent years, much attention has been trained on Greater Boston’s tight housing market and the increasingly severe difficulty residents have finding affordable housing in the region. There is much less awareness of the very different challenge faced by residents of weak market neighborhoods, where housing is much less expensive but conditions are physically, socially, read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Research

Revisiting Correctional Expenditure Trends in Massachusetts

Ben Forman and Michael Widmer
MassINC is proud to present another installment in our “Justice Reinvestment At-A-Glance” research brief series. Revisiting Correctional Expenditure Trends in Massachusetts updates our 2017 report, Getting Tough on Spending. Our new analysis incorporates final expenditures through FY 2017, and projects outward using the House and Senate Ways and Means FY 2019 budget proposals. We hope read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Research

The Promise and Potential of Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

Daniel Hodge and Ben Forman
Gateway Cities can accommodate thousands of new housing units and thousands of new jobs on the vacant and underutilized land surrounding their commuter rail stations. This walkable, mixed-use urban land offers an ideal setting for transit-oriented development (TOD) to take hold. Currently, Gateway City commuter rail stations get minimal ridership from downtown neighborhoods and few read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Economic Development, Transportation, Gateway Cities, Research, Transformative Transit-Oriented Development

Improving College & Career Outcomes through Research-Practice Partnerships

A Case Study of ILP Implementation in Three Gateway City School Districts

Ben Forman
Public schools are under pressure to close wide opportunity and achievement gaps so that disadvantaged students can compete for jobs in today’s knowledge economy on an equal footing. While the resources to accomplish this important work are often limited, advances in education technology, data availability, and research methods can help schools get more learning out read more
Topic(s): Education, Research

The Geography of Incarceration in a Gateway City

The Cost and Consequences of High Incarceration Rate Neighborhoods in Worcester

Ben Forman and Lindiwe Rennert
In 2016, MassINC and the Boston Indicators Project issued a report detailing the geography of incarceration in Boston. Utilizing new data provided by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, this report extends that line of research by examining incarceration in a Gateway City. The analysis explores the cost and consequences of high incarceration rates in Worcester read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Gateway Cities, Research

Public Opinion on Criminal Justice Reform in Massachusetts

Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
Massachusetts voters are ready to embrace major reforms to the state’s criminal justice system. A new MassINC poll shows most support reforms to both the front and back ends of the system to reduce repeat offending and refocus the system on prevention and rehabilitation. Voters perceive the current system as counterproductive; prisons are seen as read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Public Opinion, Research

The Public’s Take on Education Accountability

Results from a Survey of Massachusetts Voters

Ben Forman, Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
Understanding public opinion on education account- ability is crucial as policymakers work to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the 2015 federal law that replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB). MassINC partnered with The MassINC Polling Group to learn more about how voters throughout the Commonwealth feel about efforts to assess student learning, measure read more
Topic(s): Education, Public Opinion, Research

Calling all Gateway City Leaders

An action Guide to Workforce Development Transformation in Massachusetts

Ben Forman
In Gateway City regions with an aging and under-skilled labor force, workforce development is an essential ingredient for future economic growth. This new “action guide” provides a helpful playbook for local leaders looking to engage in efforts to transform these systems. In plain English, the report breaks down workforce development to give municipal leaders a read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Research
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