Article 80 Modernization: Community Engagement and Development Review Operations Improvement

Overview of process

Our vision is to shape growth that serves Boston’s residents and centers their needs. A primary goal of our work is creating a predictable and transparent process for our City’s growth that builds trust with communities. One step toward achieving that goal is improving the Article 80 development review process—both the internal process of review, and the community engagement process.

This work seeks to ensure:

  • Inclusive, equitable, and predictable participation in the Article 80 development review process
  • Greater trust and transparency between the community and the BPDA
  • A timely, predictable, and purposeful process for community members, staff, and developers
  • Decision-making processes that are accountable, clear, and responsive to planning efforts and community needs
  • A proactive commitment to racial and socioeconomic equity

As part of this project, we want to hear from you and your neighbors! What is working well, and what are the opportunities to make our process work better? We aim to build a new development review community engagement process that works for all people in Boston, both those who have been shaping our projects for years and those who have not yet been involved.

Get involved + Updates

This work begins Summer 2023. During this time, we will lead a public process to understand gaps and opportunities in the current Article 80 process and work with community members to help us gather ideas for improving it. We will pilot the new draft development review process, evaluate the pilot, and revise the new process before finalizing and implementing it.

Stay tuned for opportunities to share your ideas and insights! Sign up for our BPDA newsletter to receive updates about this and other projects.

In the meantime, if you have specific questions, you may email Nupoor Monani ([email protected]) to learn more about the internal operations improvements process or Kristiana Lachiusa ([email protected]) to learn more about the community engagement improvement process.