Mayor Michelle Wu approved a law on Wednesday that brings back a city-managed planning department for the first time in 70 years. The signing ceremony took place in the West End on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in her efforts to change the city's development.
“Today we celebrate a long-awaited new era in Boston’s expansion — focused on affordability, resilience, and fairness,” said Wu. “This law represents the most significant action Boston has taken in 70 years to start unraveling a development system based on an outdated ideology that has harmed our communities.”
The mayor submitted the ordinance in January and it was approved by the City Council last Wednesday, creating a Planning Department that will be operational by July 1.
According to the city, the department will encompass planning, zoning, development review, urban design, and real estate staff. It is also included in the city budget and involves the transfer of support staff from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA).
The city states that the department's purpose is to plan for development, use of public land, consistent zoning codes, development procedures, and urban design standards.
The ordinance was controversial during discussions in the City Council, which will have financial oversight of the department. Critics have mentioned that it does not fully align with Wu’s initial plans to eliminate the BPDA. Department staff will assist the BPDA, which will continue as the city’s Planning Board, in development and public land projects, as well as planning and zoning initiatives, as per the city's announcement.
The city's announcement highlighted other ongoing suggestions to change Boston’s planning and development, such as a home rule request to end urban renewal and citywide zoning reform.
The new department will be headed by Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison, who expressed that this move is a step toward “genuinely transforming planning and development in Boston and ensuring we are communicating with residents in a unified manner as the City of Boston.”
