Raising concerns about potential new schoolchildren, in contrast, may be less socially acceptable, especially in liberal MA communities.

I think people at these meetings are also strategic and choose objections that they think are most likely to persuade decision-makers. Complaints about traffic lead to traffic studies. Concerns about flooding/environment may trigger environmental studies/regs.

I can’t believe it - after years of advocacy, exclusionary zoning has ended in Cambridge.

We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style

Here’s the details 🧵

Abstract of article titled "The partisanship of mayors has no detectable effect on police spending, police employment, crime, or arrests"

Are Democratic leaders making cities more dangerous than Republicans? Trump + others have repeatedly made claims like this. New paper in Science Advances w/ @chriswarshaw.bsky.social, Dan Jones & Matt Harvey shows that, in short, the answer is no.

In Lexington, the state’s housing law is on track to produce nearly 1,000 new homes - The Boston Globe The suburb is perhaps an early sign that, at least in some communities, the law to make it easier to build apartments and condos is working as intended.

No MA upzoning-specific studies that I'm aware of, but lots of national evidence that transit-oriented development helps reduce traffic! Lexington might provide a nice empirical test once these 1,000+ units are built: www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/03/b...

As with the Northborough property, communities sometimes make these exclusionary purchases using state resources through the Community Preservation Act. We highlight this example (and others) of the weaponization of public land (and waste of public $$) in our report:

www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/...

After eight years, Northborough has no purpose for historic White Cliffs estate - The Boston Globe Northborough has poured millions into the White Cliffs estate. It still is unused.

This story underscores just how much communities are willing to spend to avoid building more housing. @maxwellpalmer.com and I find that communities buy land, sometimes to block affordable housing, with no plan or capacity to maintain/redevelop the property.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...

🏘️🏙️🗳️We're excited to welcome @jerusalem.bsky.social of @theatlantic.bsky.social to @bostonu.bsky.social for a discussion of her new book, "On the Housing Crisis," moderated by @katherineeinst.bsky.social.

⏰ December 9, 4 PM – 5:30 PM ET
📍 1 Silber Way, Room 916, Boston, MA 02215
🔗 bu.edu/ioc/2…

In Lexington, the state’s housing law is on track to produce nearly 1,000 new homes - The Boston Globe The suburb is perhaps an early sign that, at least in some communities, the law to make it easier to build apartments and condos is working as intended.

Cool to see early signs of MBTA Communities' positive impact in Lexington. Effects of the law will likely be highly variable, though given paper compliance in some communities. www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/03/b...

We just coded whether the towns used CPA funding or not to purchase land that blocked housing development (almost always a Chapter 40B). We didn't look into whether they were using the 10% that is supposed to be earmarked for housing (though I would guess not).

That's so kind, thank you!

What's especially wild is that the state recognized that lawsuits were a big problem for housing in the 2024 Affordable Homes Act, and made abutter appeals reform part of the law. But, the state is pursuing the exact opposite approach with its climate "permitting reform" and subsidizing lawsuits.

Neighborhood Defenders Cambridge Core - American Government, Politics and Policy - Neighborhood Defenders

Link to our peer-reviewed book on this topic here: www.cambridge.org/core/books/n.... We're also doing follow-up research exploring how local permitting processes and administrative burdens hinder clean energy implementation.

Not sure how anyone could see @maxwellpalmer.bsky.social @davidmglick.bsky.social and my research on public meetings in MA and think that more community input will produce better development outcomes. www.housingpolitics.com/research/nei...

Thank you! Our policy report is here: www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/.... We include some suggestions on the CPA, among other policy areas. We're also working on an academic paper based on these data, but that process is slower.

These are the 13 instances we were able to identify in the report. If you know of any others, let us know!

Using tax dollars to block new housing is bad policy - The Boston Globe More than a dozen communities have been accused of ‘weaponizing’ the sale of public land to stop housing development.

Excited to see @maxwellpalmer.bsky.social and my research in this @bostonglobe.com op-ed this morning. The use of public money to actively block much-needed affordable housing is appalling, and shows the strength of opposition to new housing in Greater Boston. www.bostonglobe.com/2024/11/25/o...