Dan Hodge, of Hodge Economic Consulting, recently presented research authored with MassINC’s Ben Forman on transit-oriented development (TOD) in Massachusetts Gateway Cities at the 6th International Transportation and Economic Development Conference on June 7. Addressing the conference in Washington, DC, Hodge addressed the benefits that TOD can to bring to Massachusetts by calculating its real-world
Gateway Cities TOD Tour
Stop 1: Springfield
On Wednesday, June 20th, MassINC joined the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Hodge Economic Consulting for an informal discussion of local findings from “Exploring the Future of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Gateway Cities.” Over a barbecue dinner at Theodore’s, local leaders discussed the potential of the refurbished Union Station, the promise of new commuter rail
Linking Commuter Rail to Jobs, Housing, and Opportunity in Eastern Massachusetts
An In-Depth Look
Research Director Ben Forman offers an in-depth look at the rich potential of New England small cities’ transit infrastructure in “Linking Commuter Rail to Jobs, Housing, and Opportunity in Eastern Massachusetts,” published this week in the American Prospect. Forman champions the virtue of these cities’ land—expansive, close to transit, and ripe for new development—but laments
New MassINC Research Sizes Up the Untapped Potential of Gateway City Rail
Exploring the Future of Transit-Oriented Development
Leaders from across the state gathered at the UMass Club last week for the unveiling of a major new report estimating the long-term potential of transit-oriented development (TOD) in Gateway Cities. The culmination of a year of methodical work by a MassINC-led research team, this new study provides a detailed look at how many potential additional jobs and
The Promise and Potential of Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities
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
Pat Beaudry
This Month's Gateway Cities Leader
Cities are shaped by their citizens. From New Bedford to Pittsfield, passionate young leaders are spearheading innovative efforts to reinvent their communities for a new generation. The Gateway Cities Leaders series profiles their work and introduces their ideas, visions, and aspirations to the wider Gateway City world. Patrick Beaudry is the Manager of Public Affairs
Four things we learned about Gateway City travel this summer
Understanding mobility patterns
The Googles of this world have loads of travel data to understand mobility patterns at minute detail. While most researchers and planners never get a good look at these real-time data, we do have two interesting sources of information that can help us learn more about how people travel across the state. One resource is
The push and pull of transit in Boston and the Gateway Cities
A look at gentrification forces on transit-dependent households
The trend of low- and middle-income households being priced out of urban centers with robust public transit networks is a reality in major cities all over the country. Despite its ills, the MBTA system is exceptional, which means Boston is no exception. Migration data from the American Community Survey show that more than one-quarter of
Community Benefit Districts on the table for FY18
New designation would promote collaboration in downtowns, Main Streets
Representative Brendan Crighton and Senator Eileen Donoghue have filed an outside section of the FY18 Budget, currently in Conference Committee, that would create Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) as an alternative to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for communities across the Commonwealth. CBDs are designed to support downtowns, cultural districts, historic areas, and Main Streets that require
Looking for a Transformative Transit-Oriented Development paradigm
View the Boston skyline from afar and you can pick out transit stops from the cranes poking out above active construction sites. TOD is occurring all over the city. This development has been fueled by relatively strong regional population and employment growth, high-frequency transit service, and perhaps most importantly, consumers with a preference for walkable