Recent research into Open Space Residential Design (Hamin, 2007) found that OSRD developments generally result in designs that provide more ecological and open space benefits than do conventional subdivision plans.  However, other goals are not achieved as well, including creative design, housing diversity, and other public goods.  

A 2007 Pioneer Institute report concluded that “Many local road design standards represent “worst practices” in terms of landscape design, and some appear to be designed to increase the cost of subdivision for developers.” Pioneer’s research found that 20% of municipalities in Metro Boston require typical residential roads be 30 feet wide or more, enough for two travel lanes and two lanes of parking.    

The challenges of finding affordable and qualified labor are squeezing the region’s farmers.  Availability of low-cost labor is a major challenge for many farmers; survey results from Essex County more than a third of farmers cut back on operations due to lack of labor.  Youth-based agricultural training programs may be one source of labor with corollary social benefits. 

24.a    The Boston MPO should conduct a study on transportation services for farm laborers through the Unified Planning Work Program

2.a    The Massachusetts Association of Health Boards and the Department of Public Health should work together to develop goals and guidance for municipalities to incorporate public health into their master plans

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In addition to a basic need for more dollars to produce housing, funding from the state and federal governments often have different priorities and restrictions.  Many municipalities have local funds available through the Community Preservation Act, the CDBG and HOME Programs, among other sources.  

Currently, there are a wide variety of practitioners, researchers, advocacy organizations, and agencies working on housing issues in Metro Boston.  No formal entity operates at the regional level to establish goals and make policy recommendations.  

A Regional Housing Advisory Committee could advance regional housing goals and related activities, review progress on achieving housing goals, and address implementation issues.  Successful examples of regional housing task forces and committees can be drawn from throughout the U.S.

State and regional policies and plans—for regional land use planning, transit-oriented development, economic development, and other uses—should seek to exclude priority natural resource lands (identified through state or regional planning) from areas identified as priority development areas or focus areas for growth, just as they would exclude large areas of wetlands or floodplain. 

Historic inventories and plans are necessary to guide protection and reuse efforts.  Careful inventories and plans will ensure development proposals can be designed to protect and enhance historic resources.  They can also make the permitting process more efficient if the expectations for preservation and enhancement are outlined in a plan, rather than debated after a development has been proposed.  

Innovative parking strategies can support compact growth by maximizing the amount of land available for development and reducing auto dependency.  These strategies use tailored standards, pricing mechanisms, shared parking, permit parking, transportation demand management, and pedestrian improvements to make the most efficient use of available parking.  A well planned and executed parking program is essential to establishing and maintaining a human-scale environment that emphasizes parking efficiency over supply.

Form based codes offer an opportunity to recodify a city or town's zoning and subdivision rules and regulations in order to promote streetscapes that activate the public realm through careful analysis and planning.  Form based codes can either replace or supplement standard text-based zoning, subdivision and other local regulations, and are a method of regulating development to achieve a specific form.