The other day I walked past my neighborhood coffee shop and I saw something otherwise completely ordinary but worth a second look during this very particular point in history: someone sitting in one of the window seats with his laptop and a coffee. Besides sipping on his drink and surfing the internet, he was otherwise... Continue Reading →
Did I Move to the Suburbs?
I recently moved to a new part of the Boston metro area - from the West to the North - to an area that I’d never really been before. I’d been here once before to visit a friend several years ago but that was it. And because of the ongoing pandemic, going to see a... Continue Reading →
Where does Boston Need More Parks (and Other Open Spaces)?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the summer months, access to open spaces and parkland is critical for urbanites across the US and the world. Getting outside in nice weather can reduce stress, a lot of which has been put on us these past few months, and more than that, public parks function as an... Continue Reading →
Is Boston a 20-Minute City?
Boston’s walkability is part of what makes this city a famous place. The Boston that most tourists know is the historical city on the peninsula, hemmed in by water and hills and so forced to be built up densely. Not to mention, Boston was developed before the car, which is not something every city in... Continue Reading →
A Potential Ridership Shed for the Hartford Line
Springfield, MA, Hartford, and New Haven are the employment centers of the North-South corridor through central Connecticut. And although all three are post-industrial cities that have gone through economic and fiscal distress throughout the last half century, these are absolutely the three population anchors of the region. No other Hartford Line municipality breaks 100,000 residents,... Continue Reading →
Comparing Hartford Line Populations in the 2010s: Who Gained and Who Lost?
What demographic and economic landscape did the Hartford Line commuter rail join when service started in June 2018? Generally, the world economy grew dramatically in the 2010s, especially in the United States; the US Stock Exchange saw its longest stretch of growth in its history [1], and the largest metro-areas added many new jobs and... Continue Reading →
Hartford Line TOD: Possible or Plausible? My New Project
The Hartford Line commuter rail, operated by CTRail and supplemented by Amtrak coaches, connects New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut with Springfield, Massachusetts and strings together the smaller, Connecticut River Valley communities in between. Service is still nascent as revenue trains only started plying this route in June, 2018, and hopes have been high that this... Continue Reading →
Bike Infrastructure Needs an Update in Boston University’s East Campus
Recent Improvements Can Show the Way Forward Bike safety and prioritization has increasingly been a focus on Boston University’s campus in recent years. The newly installed bike lanes in West Campus, fully protected by a curb and then parked cars, are the most notable example and will protect the more than 3,000 cyclists that use... Continue Reading →
The Wonderful World of Theme Park Transportation
How Disney World thematically and practically uses transportation infrastructure On a recent trip to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, I found myself marveling at the ubiquity of transportation infrastructure in and around the parks in ways that I hadn’t noticed before. Of course I knew about the famous monorail and had heard about... Continue Reading →
Breweries as Urban Economic Development Success Stories?
If you live in a city like Boston, you're blessed by the ready availability of breweries, distilleries, tap rooms, and cocktail labs that surround you. And I'm not just talking about the big names like Sam Adams, but also the smaller, more local options that are rapidly expanding like Downeast Cider, Night Shift, and Trillium.... Continue Reading →
Jacob Harrington 