Updated November 7, 2008

For a more up-to-date version, Click here to download a PDF updated November 21, 2008

Urban communities in Massachusetts offer a wealth of history, diversity, and convenience.  What’s more, they are critical to the success of MetroFuture’s land use and development plan.  That plan calls for more housing and job growth in urban areas, where it can benefit from existing infrastructure, bring new amenities to existing residents, and reduce the pressure for development elsewhere in the region.  

However, many urban communities are viewed more negatively than their suburban counterparts.  The can be linked back to real and perceived issues with underperforming school systems, youth violence and other criminal activity, and insufficient resources for operations and maintenance.  In order to foster revitalized interest in urban living and a trend of growth in urban communities, there exists a need to re-evaluate the educational scheme of underperforming schools, to increase youth violence and crime prevention programs, and to reinvest in urban quality of life and place.