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Rezoning Boston
By adamg on Thu, 05/07/2015 - 8:54am
Mayor Walsh yesterday announced the first citywide planning effort in 50 years, and wants your input on what the city should look like in 2030 (i.e., our 400th birthday). The Globe has more.
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Comments
My plan
I could either go super-futuristic, or dystopian. Or super-futuristic-dystopian. Make it happen, Marty!
My hopes
I want to see a decaying giant Olympic stadium that we ran out of money to tear down.
I want to see working-class people have to commute in from Fitchburg and Attleboro to serve coffee and wait tables for the rich people who have made the city a sea of luxury condos.
I want to see every MBTA station shut down one at a time for 2 years so they can remodel each one into a glass box.
I want more buildings that look identical to every other building they're building.
I want to see Sweet Caroline played at Fenway EVERY inning.
I want to see more bank branches and cell phone purveyors, and fewer bookstores and neighborhood bars.
I want to see
More Dunkies. Perhaps replace the food trucks with mobile Dunkies? They could have a little slogan on the side, "this van runs on Dunkies". Duck Boats can become Dunk Boats. People say the locals don't often use the Duck Tour because it's too touristy. Nosiree, it's because of a creeping anxiety that they'd be away from a Dunkies for more than 10 minutes. Look at the Red Sox' attendance figures: it's not a coincidence that their sellout streak happened not long after they finally opened a Dunkies inside. Luxury condos are nice, but more Dunkies means there's no need for a condo to sleep in because you'd be running on Dunkies and you'd have no reason to sleep.
Fully agree
SOMEONE ON THIS SITE GETS IT RIGHT
My crystal balls says
The smoke shops will be competing with the nail salons to overtake the number of Dunkins. There's some logic to that; I mean, SOMEBODY is buying those donuts. (The number of nail salons continues to baffle me.). I was sorry to see Raven Books replaced by a smoke shop on Newbury, but it's the future — the second smoke shop (if not the third?) within a few blocks. Now, if bookstores could start selling pot vaporizers, etc., perhaps they could stay in business. Because there was so much pot smoke filling the streets in my crystal ball that I couldn't see anything else in 2030 clearly. And me with asthma....
makes sense, though
Most people only have one Dunkies hole on their face, but 20 nails on their body. It makes sense that there'd be so many nail salons when you really think about it.
My hopes?
We get less of this curmudgeon commentary and instead hear voices with real ideas, desires and a drive to change this city for the better.
Honestly?
All I want is fewer cars on the roads, and better public transit and more pedestrian-only zones. And I want more bookstores. Everything else I'll roll with whatever other people decide.
Me too
Sorry, the constant barrage of snarky comments about the doom and gloom of the Olympics/Urban Renewal might have sparked that response.
Theres hope that we can change the city for the better, I just worry about those negative people that choose to get in the way of progress simply because they don't want to upset the status quo or they believe that because we failed to improve this city in the past that we will never succeed in the future.
I hear what you're saying,
I hear what you're saying, but the article I read in the Globe didn't give me any reason to be hopeful. More Faneuil Halls? A bogus food court is the first thing that comes to mind when envisioning Boston's future? Did I misread the article? Maybe that was The Globe's vision and not the Mayor's.
I am basically an optimistic person, but I feel that a
certain cynicism about utopian long-range plans for the City of Boston -- in the face of the overweening influence of greedy corporations against the welfare of ordinary citizens, corrupt practices by our big construction firms, a local press that can no longer afford long-form investigative reporting, and general bureaucratic incompetence (see the Big Dig, the outrageously awful urban "planning" in the Seaport, the failure of government to invest properly in the MBTA, the cheerleading for the Olympics despite rafts of evidence that is highly unlikely to deliver the promised benefits to local citizens and small businesses, etc., etc). -- is well-earned.
Marty's vision and efforts are laudable; I laud them. I've lived in Boston my whole adult life and intend to stay here; I truly want the city to be a better place to live for the entire citizenry. Forgive me for wondering how the heck Walsh can realize a tenth of his goals in the face of human folly and the abiding self-interest of the rich and powerful in our so-called Commonwealth that this site does such a good job of documenting. The United States of Citizens United doesn't give a shit about little people anymore, and if you aren't doing anything to change that basic fact, putting a smiley face on Imagine Boston 2030 isn't going to help much.
I dunno
This is a small by seemingly momentous move.
Think about it, after decades of doing development project by project or neighborhood by neighborhood, we are going to take a holistic approach. Sure, just like the last effort, there will be mostly things in the works, but on the other hand, initiatives like increasing transit oriented development will be backed by an official document.
I've often felt that development suffers by siloing of planning. So many office buildings are being built downtown and the Back Bay touting transit access, but what happens when all those new workers start crowding onto the trains. And for that matter where are all these new workers supposed to live? But a single plan, covering all aspects of the city, might help with this.
By the way, if you check out the 1965 plan, note the chapter on the World's Fair. Yes, sometimes the city comes up with big plans, and sometimes they fail.
distorted priorities
It's a really big problem for cities right now that urban real estate is such a hot investment - distorted markets lead to distorted priorities.
I'd rather that property owners be more concerned with what's happening on that property than the value of the property itself.
My cynicism is that Walsh's
My cynicism is that Walsh's parade of shiny, fluff initiatives is all about his 2017 reelection. Read any of the press releases coming out city hall. The PR people always focus on how Walsh (as opposed to the city) are doing all these unprecedented things.
Walsh campaigned promising that he was going to to replace the BRA with a proper planning department. Before trying to come up with a 15 year plan (which will probably get ignored anyway), Walsh ought to set up that new planing department first.
Bob Dylan
now leases his music to corporations.
By 2030, working-class people
By 2030, working-class people will be replaced with robots.
Will they
Will they be programmed to catcall and sexually harass women walking past their construction sites? Gotta keep that blue collar charm.
Not limited to blue collar types
Suit and tie jerks can be every bit as bad, and even a lot more passive aggressive about loudly commenting on appearance "amongst themselves".
Bring back
the Combat Zone.
The vcr, internet, and soon
The vcr, internet, and soon VR replaced the need for that form of live entertainment.
My plan for Allston
Selectively re-zone all of the automotive businesses as residential, demolish autozone and herb chambers and all of the other wastes of valuable land that don't serve the locals, build at least 6 stories residential with ground floor shopping/restaurants especially along Comm Ave and Brighton Ave. Eliminate parking requirements so the new projects can occupy some of the smaller lots that would open up.
Update Boston Wards and Precincts
Is 1969 really the last time there were any change to a Boundary of a Boston Ward or Precinct?...
http://bostonwardsprecincts.blogspot.com
Update Boston Wards and Precincts
Yes
Next question.
Potential Candidates and Incumbent Candidates for City Council
Potential Candidates and Incumbent Candidates for Boston City Council are mentioned at
http://www.dotnews.com/2015/councillors-challengers-get-down-business-ca...
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/20/city-council-races-drawing-f...
http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/2014%20Elected%20Officials%...
____________________
At-Large
1) Dorchester’s Annissa Essaibi George, email
annissaeg at hotmail.com
2) Present Councilor At-Large Hyde Park's Stephen J. Murphy, email
councilormurphy at aol.com
3) South Boston's Chrissanta C Rudder, email
chrissantarudder46 at gmail.com
4) Present Councilor At-Large South Boston's Michael F. Flaherty Jr, email
flahertyforboston at gmail.com
5) Present Councilor At-Large Dorchester's Ayanna S Pressley, email
ayannap at ayannapressley.com
6) Present Councilor At-Large South End's Michelle Wu, email
michelleforboston at gmail.com
7) South Boston's Bryan D Fuller, Veteran, email
bryandfuller at gmail.com
____________________
District 1 East Boston, Charlestown, North End/Waterfront, Harbor Islands are a part of District 3, except Deer Island, which is part of District 1.
8) Present District 1 City Councilor East Boston's Salvatore LaMattina, email
sallamattina at gmail.com
____________________
District 2 City Hall/Beacon Hill/Islands , Chinatown, South Boston, South End, Harbor Islands are a part of District 3, except Deer Island, which is part of District 1.
9) Present District 2 City Council President South Boston's Bill Linehan
10) South End's Bentzion Chudnovskiy, email
press at spyrealty.com
11) South Boston's Kenneth P Jervis, email
kensusboston at gmail.com
____________________
District 3 Dorchester, Harbor Islands, Roxbury/South Bay , Dorchester/New Market , South Boston , Mattapan, South End, Harbor Islands are a part of District 3, except Deer Island, which is part of District 1.
12) Dorchester's Donnie Palmer, Veteran, email
donniedpalmer at gmail.com
13) Present District 3 City Councilor Dorchester's Frank Baker, email
fkbaker2 at yahoo.com
____________________
District 4 Dorchester, Roslindale, Dorchester/St. Mark’s , Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Hyde Park
14) Mattapan's Jovan J Lacet, Veteran, email
lacet4boston at gmail.com
15) Mattapan’s Andrea Joy Campbell, email
campbellandreaj at gmail.com
16) Present District 4 City Councilor Dorchester's Charles Calvin Yancey, email
ccyancey at aol.com
17) Dorchester's Terrance J Williams, email
mrwilliamsmission at yahoo.com
____________________
District 5 Hyde Park, Readville, Roslindale, Mattapan
18) Present District 5 City Councilor Hyde Park's Timothy McCarthy, email
mccarthy4boston at gmail.com
19) Mattapan’s Jean-Claude Sanon, email
jeanclaude_sanon at yahoo.com
____________________
District 6 Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Roxbury, Back of the Hill
20) Present District 6 City Councilor Jamaica Plain's Matt O'Malley, email
matt at votemattomalley.com
21) Jamaica Plain's George John Rigas, email
georgerigas at yahoo.com
____________________
District 7 Roxbury, South End, Fenway, Dorchester
22) Dorchester's Althea Garrison, Former State Representative
23) Roxbury's Charles L Clemons Jr, email
djccsounds at aol.com
24) Present District 7 City Councilor Grove Hall's Tito Jackson, email
tito4boston at gmail.com
25) Roxbury's Roy Owens, email
prince.albert204 at yahoo.com
26) Roxbury's Kevin A Dwire, email
kadwire at hotmail.com
27) Roxbury's Haywood Fennell Sr, Veteran
____________________
District 8 Back Bay/Beacon Hill , Fenway/Kenmore , Mission Hill, West End, Allston
28) Present District 8 City Councilor Back Bay's Josh Zakim, email
josh at joshzakim.com
29) Beacon Hill's Thomas Joseph Dooley III, email
tom at electtomdooley.com
____________________
District 9 Allston, Brighton
30) Present District 9 City Councilor Brighton's Mark Ciommo, email
mark at markciommo.com
31) Allston's Thomas Leonard
District 2 has fewer candidates now
Jervis is no longer running, based on an email received from his email address.
Chudnovskiy I haven't seen any more info on.
I don't care
I'll probably be dead by then.
Needs to be more than Boston
What we really need is an area-wide focus to fix the transit system and fill the holes; to reorient towards "village" development (jobs and homes in the same area); to increase the amount of space available for small businesses; to comprehensively link the city up so that it is easier to get around; etc.
This is a start, but Somerville and Cambridge are way ahead in this game and Boston could not only learn, but benefit from a team effort.
Yes
Those cities and towns, like Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford, that claim to be a part of Boston should petition the legislature to be annexed to Boston.
Seriously, though, thinking of your first gasp when you pondered the end of an independent Medford as it would be subsumed into the giant that is Boston, that is the problem with regional planning. Each municipality would have to give up some level of autonomy to make a regional plan work. And in the Boston area, that is highly unlikely.
Big part of the problem
This right here is a huge part of the problem with the MBTA, housing costs, and economic development. Acting like fifedoms is foolish when dealing with an integrated economy.
Personally? I would love to see Medford be annexed by Somerville, and I'm not alone in that. The amateur hour governance and pretending to be a small town in an isolated rural location need to end.
It is, however, telling that you think that it all needs to be a single government in order for cities to work together on planning and development. It doesn't.
But Medford to Boston is a no go?
And Medford is a City, not a town, with a mayor and everything. At the end of the day, we do not live in the Greater Somerville area, so it would be Boston doubling it's population and the likes of Medford, Brookline, and Quincy feeling that less special.
There is a regional planning organization in the area, but they are constrained by what they can do. This is New England, where smaller government is better government, no matter how inefficient it is. I mean, the MBTA was only set up in the 1960s. Before that, decent public transit had a much smaller footprint.
Once again
I wouldn't find the notion of unification unwelcome.
But you need to think outside of your parochial mindset and realize that it might not be necessary to unify planning and advocacy without the trouble and cost of annexation.
Not my parochial mindset
I know about the MAPC. I know about how things are done in the Twin Cities and Denver region. I know how places like Indianapolis and Lexington, KY, have gone the route of consolidated city-county government to achieve lower costs. You're the one that rather than mentioning the largest city in the metropolitan area, the one whose citywide planning is being discussing in this topic, opted to say how great it would be if your city merged with another city but not the largest city in the metropolitan area. In short, stop being so parochial.
To achieve good regional planning, municipalities would have to cede some of their local power. It's a reality. That's the trouble you would face if planning went the way you (and to some extent I) wanted.
Tokyo is no longer officially a city...
... it kept getting bigger and bigger, then in 1943, it merged with the prefecture of Tokyo, and the former city proper became 23 cities. These cities and the other cities of the prefecture have a metropolitan government more akin to that of a state. Since Boston never thad the degree of centralization that the former city of Tokyo did, I suspect metropolitanizing things here is probably a non-starter.