Manikka Bowman

Boston’s transit system may have its issues, but according to a recently released report by the Urban Land Institute, the region should not only be grateful for what it has, it needs to also set a vision for its future and invest in it. In October 2017 a panel of real estate and land use professionals from outside New England convened in Boston and identified key priorities to guide future real estate development that could be catalyzed by a proposed underground rail line linking two major transit hubs – North Station and South Station – and unifying two currently separate commuter rail systems.

The study was sponsored by the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership in collaboration with the city of Boston, several communities in Greater Boston, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton. The panel analyzed local market conditions and the implications for real estate on several sites that would be transformed by the proposed North-South Rail Link, including the U.S. Postal Services Fort Point Station, Widett Circle and a proposed expansion of South Station.

• The study identified these key priorities:
• Strengthening links between housing and job centers.
• Preserving high-value land in the urban core for real estate development.
• Increasing social equity by building affordable housing at transit nodes and improving rail and mobility access for underserved communities.
• Developing transit-oriented development area plans for stations along all commuter rail and MBTA subway lines.
• Incorporating climate resilience into future investments in response to Boston’s proximity to the coast and threats from rising sea levels.

“Boston’s commuter rail and transit system is a unique asset that offers the region a strategic advantage over other metropolitan areas, both nationally and globally,” said panel chair Marilee Utter, president of Citiventure Associates in Denver. “Yet the region’s ability to maintain its quality of life and compete globally is seriously at risk if it does not take a comprehensive approach to a unified rail system that leverages the tools of real estate development, public/private partnerships and transit-oriented development to achieve these goals.”

The panel, which was convened through ULI’s Advisory Services program, was composed of nationally known land use professionals representing all aspects of urban development and design. Panelists emphasized what many in the Hub already know: While Boston’s unprecedented job growth has unleashed a boom in commercial development, the region’s housing supply has not kept pace, creating an affordability crisis and enclaves of extreme wealth and poverty.

The study found that a unified and expanded commuter rail system has the potential to meet current and future housing demand, address income inequality and foster the economic competitiveness of the region. But the panel emphasized that the plan can work only if there is a strategic approach to transit enhancements that includes short and long-term investments. The panel concluded that if an agreed upon vision for the region’s transit was not established, there would be continuous struggles in the region over what should be the next “big investment.”

Manikka Bowman is director of policy and outreach for ULI Boston/New England.