What Kind of Housing?
What on first blush might seem like an insignificant residential addition to an existing building near Coolidge Corner, has fanned the flames of a long standing debate. The request to "legalize" a four...
View ArticleTraffic: Route 9 and Beyond
I've been thinking a lot about traffic, or more precisely, traffic congestion, lately. I'm afraid I'm going to have to discuss the nitty-gritty details of traffic volumes, turning movements and...
View ArticleWhat would Olmsted do?
Once again we have been reminded about the staggering import of the work of F.L.Olmsted, his sons and the landscape architecture firm he established and ran from his home and workshop here in...
View ArticleFinding a Better Balance
Greetings. Sorry for the long absence, but like the rest of you, I have been both very busy and preoccupied with the cataclysmic changes roiling throughout the known universe. It is both a frightening...
View ArticleThe Year that Was
I usually hate those "let's look back and sum up" stories we get deluged with at this time of year, but I find myself reflective and drawn to do just that as I look out on the second (or third?) big...
View ArticleLessons From Bogata
Once again, an inspiring urban leader has come to Boston. Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogata, Columbia held forth at multiple speaking engagements last week, thanks to the Livable Streets...
View ArticleUnder Surveillance
The debate in Brookline over whether or not to accept 24/7 video surveillance of our "Critical Infrastructure" as a part of the nine-community Metro Boston Homeland Security Region has been far...
View ArticleWhat's With the Gray Box?
It's hard to miss the unique new structures going up around the former Presbyterian Church on the corner of Harvard Street and Pierce Street. These days, lots of folks passing through Brookline Village...
View ArticleCar-Sharing and Brookline: a Perfect Match
Wheels When You Want Them. Actually, I think a more accurate slogan might be, wheels when you need them. It's a subtle difference, but it gets at the heart of why Zipcar members drive so much less than...
View ArticleYourBrookline.org
Brookline Community Foundation has a new website, YourBrookline.org that focuses on generating social capital. Local groups can post their organizations profiles, listings and events. There is a master...
View ArticleWhat is Balanced Transportation?
It has been said that Peter Furth was ousted from his seat on Brookline's Transportation Board because he was "too focused on bicycles". Not even getting into the truth about Professor Furth's bona...
View ArticleSHIFTBoston Ideas Competition
On the frigid eve of January 14, 2010 the Institute of Contemporary Art was the setting for unveiling of the winners of the SHIFTBoston ideas competition. I was there. It was fun. Lots of folks who...
View ArticleRethinking Coolidge Corner Lane Scheme
I have some serious concerns about the latest Transportation Board proposal for lane changes at the Harvard/Beacon intersection at Coolidge Corner. The most recently proposed plan, to reduce the number...
View ArticleDemolishing Brookline one House at a Time
As I react to the flurry of demolition requests in and around my neighborhood, I think, this must be what it feels like to be on a volunteer fire department. You try to get on with your everyday life,...
View ArticleThe Stretch Energy Code: It's Good for Brookline
Article 11 on this Spring's Town Meeting agenda would strengthen the energy efficiency portion of Brookline's Building Code. The standards have been set to be easily attainable, predictable, and...
View ArticleOver-Building Brookline: One "Preservation" at a Time
or Extreme Building: The New Normal? In my previous post, I wrote about the threat to our historic homes from development interests looking to tear down homes in order to extract maximum value from the...
View ArticleVisit Brookline Park(ing) Day, 2010!!!!
September 17, 2010 is Park(ing) Day,Join us in Coolidge Corner for a day of fun in the "Park" What is Park(ing) Day?It's an annual worldwide celebration where metered parking spaces are transformed...
View ArticleArticle 10 for Fall Town Meeting
Article 10 would lower the amount of off-street parking required for multi-family residential development. Below is some general background information on the Article, and you can follow the link...
View ArticleThe Case for Article 10
I just tried to watch the Article 10 Town Meeting debate on BATV. Sadly, the sound was completely messed up. For that reason, I am posting the text of my presentation here. Special Thanks to all of...
View ArticleLandscape Urbanism vs. The New Urbanists
Let me get this straight. A group of landscape architects are claiming that the road to urban sustainability can only be found if we place primary importance on protection of the natural environment...
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