Pending land use reform legislation could benefit Gateway Cities

Advocates for zoning reform in Massachusetts voiced support for new legislation (H. 1859) at a hearing on Tuesday. The bill, which would create more flexible zoning laws throughout the state, was filed by Senator Daniel Wolf and Representative Stephen Kulik. It has won support from the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and

Reinventing Transit

A Blueprint for Investing in Regional Transportation Authorities for Strong Gateway City Economies

Transportation networks provide the backbone for economic development in regions across the state. Public transit is an important component of these networks, increasing access to jobs, housing, and services. Leaders on Beacon Hill are considering transportation investments with the potential to shape the Commonwealth’s physical and economic landscape for generations to come. State funding for

Transformative Redevelopment

Strategic State Policy for Gateway City Growth and Renewal

Transformative redevelopment describes public and private financial support for projects that catalyze signifi­cant follow-on private investment, leading over time to the transformation of an entire downtown or urban neighbor­hood. This approach seeks to repair weak real estate mar­kets where development costs outweigh returns, creating a gap that impedes the flow of private investment; it contrasts

Building Vibrancy

Creative Placemaking Strategies for Gateway City Growth and Renewal

The struggle Gateway Cities have endured in recent years obscures their untapped potential in an economy that increasingly puts a premium on attractive, authentic, and livable communities. This has not been lost on a new generation of artists and cultural entrepreneurs, who are finding inspired ways to reinvent our Gateway Cities through creative placemaking. At

Recapturing the American Dream

Meeting the Challenges of the Bay State's Lost Decade

This joint project with the Center for Labor Market Studies was made possible by the generous support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Partners Health Care. More so than any previous report, this research sheds light on the economic well-being of workers at a moment when public attention is hyper-focused on policymaking to

Creative Places

Public Perceptions of Arts, Culture, and Economic Development in Gateway Cities

This poll was commissioned by MassINC as part of a newly-funded initiative to create a leadership network around the role of the arts in the economic revitalization of Gateway Cities, a strategy the National Endowment for the Arts calls “creative placemaking.” The survey, given to 600 registered voters among the eleven Gateway Cities, informs that

MassINC’s Middle Class Index

The first-of-its-kind Middle Class Index is designed to serve as a barometer of the status of middle class residents. Composed of 26 different indicators, the overall score for Massachusetts in 2010 was 97.4, down 2.6 points from the benchmark figure of 100 for the year 2000. Nationally, the index number was 94.2. The index number

Moving Forward with Funding

New strategies to support transportation and balanced regional economic growth

Difficult economic times have created a host of challenges for Massachusetts. Among them, the financial shortfalls of the state’s transportation agencies place high on the list. The MBTA is considering fare hikes and service cuts; even with these actions, real questions remain about how the agency will close gaps and keep the aging system operating

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