Imagine Boston 2030: Growth is essential to becoming more inclusive

Imagine Boston 2030 provides an opportunity for Boston to harness growth to make our City more equitable.

While Boston is evolving rapidly with diverse residents, new jobs and more housing, many Bostonians are struggling. Housing prices are increasing, systemic poverty persists and income and educational attainment vary dramatically. Racial divisions endure and Boston’s children grow up with uneven access to opportunities.

Growth provides us with the opportunity to make investments that address these challenges and improve quality of life for all Bostonians. 

• Constructing new housing units and commercial space can address rising demand and help keep real estate prices in check, so a wider range of residents and businesses can afford to stay in Boston.
• Boston’s leading industries, such as health care, provide jobs at many skill levels. Enabling these types of industries to grow creates more pathways to living wage jobs.
• Providing space where creative, innovative industries can grow attracts other companies and creates more jobs, investment and opportunity throughout our City.
• Boston relies on property taxes for two-thirds of the revenue the City needs to fund schools, public safety, and other services. A growing city means we have more revenue to support these critical functions and make investments that will make Boston stronger and more inclusive in 2030 and beyond.

To capture the benefits of growth, we must plan proactively.

Imagine Boston 2030 is planning at the citywide scale to ensure that Boston’s investments support the City’s vision for inclusive growth. By actively guiding Boston’s growth, we will make investments that yield multiple benefits. New housing will align with transportation investments, open space improvements will reduce climate risk and connect Bostonians to the waterfront, and offices and labs will be located near schools that train Bostonians for quality careers.

Imagine Boston 2030 will preserve and enhance what we love about Boston, while embracing growth to address our challenges and make our City stronger and more inclusive.

Over the coming months, we are seeking input to identify areas to preserve, enhance and grow across our City. This feedback will inform our strategy for guiding Boston’s growth, which we will release in Summer 2016. Weigh in on where and how Boston can grow and share your thoughts in person by attending our community workshops or meeting with our street teams. Connect with us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) using #ImagineBoston. You can also sign up for Imagine Boston updates here.