QUICK QUIZ: What is the biggest growth district in Massachusetts outside of the city of Boston right now? Did you guess Kendall Square? Cambridge Crossing? Somerville’s Union Square? Watertown’s Arsenal Street? Quincy Center? Lynn’s waterfront? Revere Beach? Woburn’s Commerce Way? Waltham along Route 128? By my read, it is a…

This story appeared in WBUR’s Cognoscenti. *** The arc of the moral universe bends along the quiet residential roads of Greater Boston. It curves through Reading, a railroad suburb on Route 128, described in its 2005 town plan as “a daily refuge from the pressures, impersonality, and uncertainties of modern…

In Greater Boston, you can find buildings dressed for the prom, in hand beaded ball gowns and the spiffiest of tuxedos. But here’s a little slide show to honor buildings that are dressed down — or dressed up quirky. Here’s to the Duckies of Greater Boston’s architecture prom.

[This story also appears in CommonWealth Magazine.] The design dilemma for America’s current generation of city builders is what to do about cars, and in particular parking. Our most beloved places were built before cars became the common person’s primary means for autonomy and travel. And auto-emissions are bringing climate…

There has been a lot of press about Greater Boston’s housing shortage and growth pains. The suburbs are over-restricting development. Home prices are escalating. And still, traffic is stealing family dinners and putting jobs at risk. What has garnered less attention is Greater Boston’s plan for growth — what the…

I’ve been touring Greater Boston with my kids, and here are some of my favorite excursions. Some are off-the-beaten-path, and many reflect my particular interest in urban/suburban planning. I welcome your recommendations as well. 1. Zimman’s and murals in Lynn Lynn’s Zimman’s is a fantasy in fabric rolls, a color…

[This story also appears on Commonwealth Magazine: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/zoning-the-good-and-the-bad/] Hovering by the fairytale playground, by the pumpkin carriage and turreted castles, behind the swings, was a wall of murky glass, an abandoned factory. …

This article was posted to MetroWest Daily News. For decades, housing experts and planners have been advocating for cities and towns allow for the owners of single family houses to add accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to their properties. The recommendation has been listed in most master plans and housing plans…

This article is also posted on CommonWealth Magazine. Greater Boston is adding jobs and population, but not enough housing, and too much traffic. How do we accommodate development to improve our lives? …