New Transit-Oriented Development Requirements for Boston-Area Transit Stations
Cities with commuter rail stops will have to accommodate higher-density housing or risk losing access to state resources and housing grants.
January 26, 2021, 5am PST | Diana Ionescu |
THONGCHAI.S
Massachusetts' latest economic development bill includes a rule that requires municipalities served by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter trains to permit denser housing in at least one district within a half mile of a station. The measure is meant to create more housing near transit stations and alleviate greater Boston's growing housing crisis, according to an article Tim Logan. "The biggest barrier to building in Massachusetts is zoning and the lack of zoning for multifamily housing. People want walkable neighborhoods, and this will help us produce them," said Rachel Heller, CEO of the advocacy group Citizens Housing and Planning Association, in the article.