Photographs by Mark Morelli SPRINGFIELD MAYOR DOMENIC SARNO remembers the day after Thanksgiving in 2012. The sky was clear and the temperature unseasonably warm. The mayor was at the city’s […]
Urban Affairs
Posted inThe Download
Worcester nixes sanctioned homeless camp
Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. on Monday ruled out any type of sanctioned camp for homeless people in the city, saying the issue “does not lend itself to one-size-fits-all […]
Posted inThe Download
Keeping a tab on student homelessness
It’s the kind of effort few newspapers have the time, space, or resources to make an investment in pursuing, but it’s an important issue that needs to be put before […]
Posted inOpinion
Brutalist buildings need some TLC
NESTLED BETWEEN BOSTON’S WEST END AND GOVERNMENT CENTER are two state-owned fortresses of brutalist architecture: the Hurley and Lindemann buildings. The structures are solid, but lacking. Outside staircases are fenced […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Two cheers for a charter school’s “Got to Go” list?
Pushing unruly kids out of high-performing “no-excuses” urban charter schools isn’t exactly something that draws praise. Indeed, the typical reaction is quite the opposite, with harsh condemnation for the idea […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Biking and driving on the streets of Boston
Cyclists are some of the most passionate advocates that the Bay State’s transportation sector has ever seen. Thanks to the pressure of bike advocates, bike lanes have been carved out […]
Posted inOpinion
“Black Lives Matter” more than a slogan
A BLACK LIVES MATTER banner hangs on the front of Somerville City Hall. We put it up this week. We shouldn’t have to. We shouldn’t have to put a banner […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Bloody night in Greater Boston
Gun violence has become the Muzak soundtrack to life in urban America: It’s always there, it’s bothersome, and it’s barely noticed after a while. At least by those outside its […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
A sorry sorry from Tsarnaev
Everyone knew yesterday was the day Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would be formally sentenced to death. No one seemed to expect that he would choose to address the court, never mind say, […]
Posted inThe Download
Thank God we’re a two-paper town
There are two ways you can tell the newspaper tong war is ramping up between the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. They ignore each other. Or they don’t. And both […]
Posted inArts and Culture, The Download
Throwing the book at the library president
It looked like a good-news story to revel in. The valuable pieces of artwork that were presumed missing from the Boston Public Library weren’t missing after all. They were apparently […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Conservative hypocrisy on police unions
In the charged atmosphere surrounding the debate on race and policing in American cities, nuance and fresh perspective have often been in short supply. That made Ross Douthat’s column in Sunday’s […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Pine Street Inn shifts from beds to housing
There are things that Joe Meuse doesn’t remember. He can’t say when he first became homeless. He’s been told that over 18 months, he made 216 visits to hospital emergency […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Clearing the Cops: Additional Information
« Return to “Clearing the cops” Winter 2014 cover story [themify_button style=”large red rounded” link=”https://commonwealthbeacon.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Deadly-force-table.xlsx” ]Download Sortable Data about Specific Cases[/themify_button] Of the 73 people on the list, 56 […]
Posted inEconomy
BRA lawyers don’t do eminent domain
The Boston Redevelopment Authority has eight attorneys on staff, but apparently none of them are qualified to do eminent domain work. Records indicate the agency farms out the eminent domain […]
Posted inUncategorized
What should a city charge for renting a sidewalk?
The city of Boston rents its sidewalks for outside dining to more than 50 restaurants using a fee structure that is getting poor reviews from budget watchdogs and economists.The base […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
¡Arriba Lantigua!
“Who are you?” Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua is not happy to see a reporter in his downtown campaign headquarters, much less one who has dropped in unannounced and is busy […]
Posted inEconomy
City maker’s mark
Jesse Baerkahn believes in cities. He feeds off their energy. And he knows that unique, vibrant, inviting urban spaces don’t happen by accident. Quality urban neighborhoods take thought and long […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Managing innovation
You’re the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Innovation District manager. What does that mean? The Innovation District lives in between planning and economic development. It’s really meant to be an urban lab […]
Posted inEconomy
Poverty sprawl
INNER CITY SLUMS along with isolated rural outposts, have long defined our concept of poverty in America. Whether it is endless blocks of urban deprivation or a dilapidated house with […]
Posted inUncategorized
Boston World Partnerships calls it quits
BOSTON WORLD PARTNERSHIPS, an economic development networking company launched in 2009 with $1 million in Boston Redevelopment Authority money, is shutting down.In an email to supporters, executive director Yoon Lee […]
Posted inUncategorized
No dice
since the state of Massachusetts legalized casino gambling, many cities throughout the state have begun competing for the opportunity to place a casino within their borders. Indeed, many in my […]
Posted inUncategorized
All in
on august 27, I announced that Springfield was beginning its selection process for a destination resort casino project pursuant to the Commonwealth’s recently enacted gaming legislation. This legislation is unique […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Parks partnerships? Or raw deals?
Daly Field, state-owned parkland on the Charles River in Brighton, is up for grabs. With the help of some community leaders, Simmons College has succeeded in getting the Massachusetts Legislature […]
