Check out our draft Action Plan and Feedback we've recieved!
Read our executive summary and draft Action Plan to learn about the Planning Department’s draft recommendations to improve Boston’s development review process. Our engagement and feedback period lasted from September 25 - December 15, 2024.
Our engagement resulted in important feedback that will help shape our final Action Plan and next steps. We received 99 comment letters and 307 survey responses.
We also received a lot of questions and requests for clarification. This FAQ document provides answers to frequently asked questions.
What’s next? This spring, we will release an updated Action Plan and outline both short-term and long-term actions.
Recent Engagement
Community members, advocates, and developers submitted comments and feedback on the Action Plan.
Want to learn more from Planning Department staff?
Project Goals
The Planning Department has often heard from community members, developers, and even staff that the Article 80 development review process can be complicated and unpredictable. Mayor Wu’s vision for development is to shape growth that furthers the City’s goals of resilience, affordability, and equity through a process that is more transparent and predictable. To achieve this vision, the Planning Department is excited to work with the public to modernize the development review process.
Process Overview
Phase 1 - Listening & Research
Phase 1 of engagement and data collection efforts focused on identifying ideas for how to modernize Article 80 and the community engagement process. This included:
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During our public meeting on February 29, 2024 BPDA staff received some questions that we did not have a chance to cover. Here you will find those questions and corresponding answers.
Check out what we heard and learned during phase 1:
Phase 2 - Introduce Ideas
Phase 2 of our engagement efforts focused on sharing our draft recommendations for how to improve our development review process. This phase is concluding with the release of our Action Plan. The Action Plan is a document that incorporates the feedback, research, and analysis that we’ve been doing over the past year and outlines the changes we propose.
Our initial engagement included:
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Focus groups with:
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Article 80 Steering Committee
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Community leaders and organizations
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Institutions (Hospitals and Universities)
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Project proponents and development teams
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BPDA and City staff
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Online survey + materials
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10 public workshops
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8 in-person workshops: Brighton, Downtown, Dorchester, South Boston, Fenway, East Boston, Roslindale, Roxbury
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2 virtual workshops
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Workshop materials
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Handouts from Draft Recommendations Workshops held citywide May 11–June 6, 2024
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Workshop recording
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Workshop recording timestamps: to allow you to easily listen to the section you most want to hear
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00:00–23:00 - Introduction & Project Overview
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23:30–48:00 - Station #1 “Proposal for Community Advisory Teams”
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48:30–01:15 - Station #2 “Proposal for Early Engagement”
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01:17–01:34 - Station #3 “Proposal for Consistent Standards”
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01:35–01:55 - Station #4 “Proposal for Coordinated Review”
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Read our workshop feedback report.
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City Council Hearing
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Docket #0192 - A hearing to discuss the ongoing modernization of Article 80 in Boston's Zoning Code
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Presentation slides from Council Hearing on July 15, 2024
Phase 3 - Draft Action Plan
Executive Summary
Action Plan
After releasing our draft Action Plan in September 2024, we focused on sharing the Action Plan widely, collecting feedback, and ensuring we heard from the diversity of people who live and spend time in Boston.
Our outreach and engagement included:
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Digital Engagement
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Online survey with over 300 responses
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10 email blasts received by 9,500 people
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14 Social media posts with over 225,000 views
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4 newspaper articles
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In-person Engagement
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Action Plan was placed in libraries across the City
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Staff attended 14 community events & meetings to hold conversations & collect feedback from harder to reach under engaged populations (e.g. young people, non-English speakers, renters, people of color, disability community)
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Meetings and Conversations
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2 virtual public meetings with ~150 attendees total
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Focus groups with developers, community members, and advocates
You can read about our key takeaways from this phase of engagement in our Action Plan Feedback Summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Article 80?
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Article 80 of the Boston Zoning Code is the regulatory process that dictates how development proposals are reviewed. The current development review process is triggered for development projects that include at least 15 units of housing, or are larger than 20,000 square feet.
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Article 80 was adopted into the Zoning Code in 1996 and has not been updated or revised until now.
What is the Article 80 Modernization Action Plan?
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The Article 80 Modernization Action Plan summarizes feedback we have heard and proposes the changes we will make to respond to that feedback and improve the way Boston reviews development projects. This is a draft document, and we hope to receive comments, questions, and suggestions to help finalize our next steps.
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We expect some of these next steps will include finalizing engagement changes, drafting zoning code text, and drafting policy changes. Each of these will include additional community engagement opportunities.
What does Article 80 Modernization mean?
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Article 80 Modernization is the Planning Department's effort to comprehensively update our development review process. This includes working to update our community engagement practices, the Article 80 zoning code text, and our internal operations. Planning has partnered with two consultant teams to deliver this work over the next year.
How does Squares + Streets connect with the Article 80 Modernization project?
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Both of these initiatives are about citywide zoning reform. The overall purpose of this reform is to update the zoning code so that it works best for the residents of Boston.
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Squares + Streets is a comprehensive planning and zoning initiative that will shape the growth of squares and streets around the City. Through the planning process, the City will provide direction around height, density, parking, and types of uses that will be defined through the zoning code. Similar to today, developments that are proposed to be over 15 units of housing or 20,000 square feet will undergo an additional review as outlined in the development review process of Article 80. Projects below this size that are consistent with the updated zoning will be able to be built to support the needs and vision as decided during the planning process within that area.
Why are we modernizing Article 80?
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We often hear from community members, developers, and even staff that the Article 80 process is complicated, unpredictable, and frustrating for those who participate.
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The Article 80 Modernization project seeks to update our internal and external processes and the Zoning code to help address and respond to the needs of Bostonians today.
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This project is an opportunity to rethink and create a new process to review and shape new development projects in Boston.
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As Boston continues to grow, we want development to help serve the city and its residents in the best way possible and further the City’s goals of resilience, affordability, and equity.
What outcomes do we want to achieve?
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To create a predictable and transparent development review process
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To make sure Article 80 responds to the needs of Bostonians and delivers on Mayor Wu’s vision for a resilient, affordable, equitable City for all
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Create decision-making processes that are clear, accountable and responsive to planning efforts and community needs
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To build trust with the community and its stakeholders through predictable, transparent, and inclusive community engagement
How can I help?
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Feedback, lived experience, and solution-oriented ideas are welcomed through the form on the webpage
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Actively participate in ongoing Article 80 projects
Do you have questions not answered here? Please email us at [email protected]. If you have specific questions, you may email Nupoor Monani ([email protected]) to learn more about the internal operations modernization process or Kristiana Lachiusa ([email protected]) about the community engagement process.
Share Your Feedback
We want to hear from you! Share your comments in the box below regarding the draft recommendations in the Action Plan. As the Action Plan is a draft document, we hope to receive comments, questions, and suggestions to help finalize our next steps. All responses are welcome and will be reviewed by the project team.
This form includes some optional demographic questions. Completion of these questions is not required. The City of Boston is committed to equity and inclusion, and the provided demographic information will help ensure that we reach the range of different people who live in our community.