Brookline broadcasts an ethos of inclusivity, but it has become a preserve for the privileged. This is no accident, but the fruit of decades of exclusionary actions. Now facing a state mandate to allow more multifamily housing, Brookline faces a choice: What kind of town does it want to be?
Luxury high-rises are sprouting across the skyline. Why is Boston, amid a grave housing crisis, so much better at building homes for the wealthy than those in need?
In recent decades, suburban towns have doubled down on the status quo, or made zoning even more restrictive, all but guaranteeing that single-family home prices will remain shockingly high.