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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
96 percent of Massachusetts is off-limits to most apartment buildings. Some hope a new map will change that.
'We have a huge housing problem in this country, and all of this discourse about how to fix it, and yet we still have yet to address the fact that it is simply illegal to build housing in most places,' said Sara Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas. 'If you want to understand the housing crisis, that's a pretty good place to start.' Advertisement The Massachusetts Zoning Atlas is part of a broader effort to document the zoning of every state in the US. The aim, said Bronin, is to make clear to policymakers Advertisement In Massachusetts, the process of creating the atlas started a few years ago with Suffolk University law professor John Infranca, who enlisted his students to pore over each of the state's 352 municipal zoning codes. Related : The process was monotonous. Many of the local codes are hundreds of pages long, some with dozens of overlay districts, rules that contradict each other, and outdated maps. Some are so complex, the researchers had to contact town officials to understand exactly what their zoning permitted in certain areas. Eventually, researchers with the national project took over, confirming Infranca's work and programming it into a map that documents the zoning. That the process was so grueling highlights the point of the project, said Infranca. If it takes a team of researchers several years to interpret and document local zoning codes, that should be an indication that those codes are too complicated. A street of single-family homes in Milton. Lane Turner/Globe Staff 'If it takes us years to understand what exactly all of this zoning means, how can we expect builders to navigate that system and create the housing we need?' he said. The end product is perhaps the most comprehensive look at the land-use policies of all 351 Massachusetts municipalities. Indeed, apartment buildings — a project with four or more units, as the atlas defines them — can only be built by-right on 4 percent of the state's 7,800 square miles of land. A view of the Massachusetts Zoning Atlas, a project that maps all of the zoning codes in the state. Purple areas are zoning districts that allow apartment buildings of four units or more. National Zoning Atlas Three-family buildings are only allowed on 7 percent of Massachusetts land, and two-families on 38 percent of land. Single-family homes, meanwhile, can be built on 96 percent of the land in this state. And that's after many municipalities have passed new zoning districts allowing multifamily housing under the MBTA Communities law. Advertisement Decades ago, zoning in Massachusetts used to be much simpler, one reason the state built apartments at more than double the pace it does today. Much of the older multifamily housing that exists in suburban Boston today was built by-right, meaning without special municipal approval, when that sort of housing was broadly allowed. But starting in the 1960s, that began to change, 'We know how these zoning rules have shaped the racial and economic makeup of communities across the state,' said Kanson-Benanav. 'The only way we can build more reasonably sized and reasonably affordable housing and make a dent in our massive shortage of homes is to allow more housing to be built.' The result is that the zoning atlas's map feature shows only small chunks of land where multifamily housing can be built, like 2 percent of Milton (while neighboring Quincy allows apartments on 32 percent of its land), and 1 percent of the total land area of Plymouth. An apartment building under construction in Revere. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff The aim of the project, ultimately, is to spur reform to state land-use rules. As Massachusetts struggles with sky-high housing prices and a growing shortage of homes, it makes sense to start with allowing more apartments to be built, researchers said. Advertisement And they have already successfully made that case in other states. In Montana, for example, lawmakers cited the atlas as a main motivator behind what some housing advocates have called ' 'We are hoping that legislators who acknowledge that we need more housing in this state will look at our map and see that you can't build it much of anywhere,' said Infranca. 'That, we think, is an effective argument for change.' Andrew Brinker can be reached at
Boston Globe
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In 1775 and today, an elusive American unity
'It is hoped,' Washington continued, 'that all distinctions of colonies will be laid aside, so that one and the same spirit may animate the whole, and the only contest be who shall render, on this great and trying occasion, the most essential service to the great and common cause in which we are all engaged.' Those orders — a plea, really — still resonate 250 years later as American politics have become fractured and polarized. The country is split along regional, racial, and cultural lines; divided by President Trump's aggressive policies; and at odds over what the nation is, was, and should be. Advertisement 'I find it horrifying to hear people talk about having blue states secede, red states secede,' said Robert Allison, a Suffolk University history professor and chair of Revolution 250, a Massachusetts nonprofit group. Advertisement 'This is something that Washington understood, that Lincoln understood, that the liberties we have are something that we need to be unified for. Otherwise, the states will be at war with each other.' In July 1775, many soldiers and their families hoped that peace would prevail, and that Britain would once again permit the extraordinary level of self-government that many American Colonists, particularly in New England, had enjoyed for well over a century. Major General Artemas Ward's orderly book for July 2 to 4, 1775, which contains General George Washington's call for Colonial unity. Massachusetts Historical Society In camp, regional tensions would flare among the troops, few of whom had ever traveled far from their homes. And as the war progressed, they would encounter different religious beliefs, differing tastes, and different ideas about class and society. Still, with his orders, 'It's getting the important thing right from the beginning: This effort won't survive without everyone pulling in the same direction,' said Peter Drummey, chief historian at the Massachusetts Historical Society, founded in 1791. 'Washington understood that, at least in part, his appointment is the representation of that.' As the war progressed, the notion of a common 'American' purpose began to take hold: a revolutionary democracy built on the rule of law; a great nation bound by principles of fairness and equality, although not for the enslaved; and a government of public service elected by and accountable to its citizens. That Washington was a Virginian was a demonstration by the Continental Congress that beleaguered Boston was not alone, and that fighting for self-determination resonated beyond New England. Advertisement The George Washington statue in the Boston Public Garden in April. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff 'The separateness of the different Colonies is what they're trying to overcome' with Washington's appointment, Drummey said. 'I think almost everyone in the army thought of themselves as a Virginian or Bay Stater or wherever else they were from.' 'It's almost like they were fighting a war as if they were NATO countries under a NATO commander,' he added. And what the new commander saw in Cambridge 'horrified' him, Allison said. To his genteel Virginian eyes, New England troops were dirty, undisciplined, and averse to taking orders from someone they didn't know. There also were far fewer of them than he had expected. 'Saying Washington was not particularly impressed is putting it mildly,' Allison said. But for the rank-and-file troops, the arrival of an upper-class, well-dressed, slave-holding Southerner to lead them must have been startling. 'They've had other generals, other officers, and who's this new guy?' Allison said of Washington. 'But this call for unity, it's almost the first thing he says.' The war dragged on for eight more years, shifting to New York after the British evacuated Boston in March 1776, to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and finally to the Carolinas and Virginia before a peace treaty was signed in 1783. But what Washington understood at the very beginning, Allison said, was a far-sighted foreshadowing of the need for national cohesion. What Washington managed to do in 'an extraordinary couple of sentences' in his orders, Allison added, was lay the framework for an epic fight that would prove longer and larger than most of his soldiers must have imagined. Mark DiSalvo, the North Andover town moderator and president of the Massachusetts Moderators Association, said that broadening one's allegiances beyond community or county boundaries would have been remarkable in Revolutionary times. Advertisement 'It was really hard to communicate, and you were narrow in your view,' DiSalvo said. 'You knew your neighbors, and you came to church, which became the town meetinghouse.' Town Meeting helped provide the spark for Revolution, DiSalvo said, as the defense of a free, local government became part of the provincial response, which also became absorbed in the broader Colonial debate. 'At first, it was what many people are fighting for today — in effect, due process,' added DiSalvo, who has encouraged moderators across the state this year to note the role of Town Meeting in the rebellion. But unity could be fleeting, even in the newly victorious nation. Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Revolution, summoned barely enough votes to ratify the Constitution. Local and state governments were deemed by many to be the best, most relevant means of legislating for one's neighbors. Federal law that benefited Georgia, say, might not necessarily be good for Massachusetts. And the contentious question of slavery, a subject of fierce debate at the Constitutional Convention, threatened ratification in an ominous taste of the great conflict that lay ahead. 'Even patriotic people who fought in the Revolution were not convinced that a federal government at a distance was the way forward,' Drummey said. For Washington, the concept of national unity remained important long after he issued his general orders in Cambridge, Allison said. Before his two terms were completed, bitter partisan battles over the scope and power of the federal government had crept into American politics. 'Washington will continue talking about this. It's a constant theme through his life and US history,' he added. Advertisement After 250 years, its relevance persists, and today's notion of what 'American' means has continued to evolve, just as it did at the dawn of the Revolution. 'How we define that is not as clear-cut as it seemed to be a relatively short time ago,' Drummey said. 'To some extent, the idea of what it means to be American is still being contested.' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Representatives Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley hold town halls opposing Trump
A recent Suffolk University / Boston Globe survey found while voters across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island deeply disapproved of Trump's time in office, many held a dim view of Democrats as well: About 56 percent of participants said they would rate the performance of national Democratic leaders in addressing key issues as 'poor.' Advertisement But Pressley, also speaking to about 150 people at a community center in Chelsea, said there is an effective resistance to Trump ongoing. Politicians and advocates, she said, had wins over funding and immigration in court, and, 'We sent Elon Musk packing.' Some of the questions Moulton and Pressley faced, however, underscored the limits of what Democrats can do to stop the Trump administration as Republicans maintain total control of the federal government. Advertisement One teenager told Moulton she was worried about how cuts to the Department of Education could affect her ability to access college financial aid. Moulton said while Democrats would fight funding cuts, 'we don't know exactly where this is headed with the Department of Education.' When another attendee asked Moulton how she could protect her Latino grandson, an American citizen, from being detained by ICE, the congressman said he, too, has relied on public guidance put out by the Massachusetts attorney general's office. 'The honest truth is that we can't trust ICE with what they've been doing,' he added. Pressley, similarly, asked what everyday people can do to stop the mass deportations, acknowledged 'people have expressed their frustration' about what elected Democrats can do. She pointed to ongoing fights in the courts, largely out of congress members' control. 'This administration is lawless, and we are trying to beat them with the rule of law,' Pressley said. She encouraged people to support each other and help when they have the chance. Moulton laid into Trump and his administration on a number of issues that have alarmed Democrats in recent weeks, including criticizing the recent ICE detention of 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes da Silva, the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, tariffs being imposed on longtime US allies, and the forceful removal of California Senator Alex Padilla as he tried to confront Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem last week. 'We don't have authoritarians or dictators here in America, and I think we're sliding dangerously in that direction,' Moulton said at one point. Advertisement He specifically criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he does not believe Trump 'has any legal basis' to take actions such as cutting funds already appropriated by Congress. 'The problem,' Moulton added, 'is he's getting away with it because we have a person in charge of the House of Representatives who I think will go down as the weakest speaker in American history.' In front of a friendly crowd that gave her a standing ovation at the start and end of the event, Pressley insisted that Democrats should not give up on the policies favored by its left wing, including universal health care, reparations for Black Americans, and diversity and equity initiatives. She hammered Trump— continuing her longstanding tradition of only referring to as 'the occupant' of the White House—as a 'fascist dictator' who's trying hard to drastically change American values. 'This moment, I believe, will shape the next 100 years,' she said. Erika Winchester and Roxana Woudstra, Tewksbury residents and friends, said they decided to attend Moulton's event after growing increasingly alarmed by issues including immigration raids, cuts to veterans programs, and changes to the country's international standing. 'Everything is really concerning and nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing, and we're worried about the future for our children,' said Woudstra, who added she had started carrying her passport with her 'because I don't want to accidentally be abducted.' The pair said they wanted Democrats like Moulton to better explain what they were doing to push back on Trump and to do so in new ways. 'I want to see more people being outspoken and not just being shut down by the lies and rhetoric and propaganda that's just being spouted by this whole administration,' Winchester said, pointing to Padilla's attempt to speak with Noem as an example of what she wants to see. Advertisement 'Be more active, like actively resisting what is happening,' Woudstra said, later adding, 'I feel like the Democratic Party is all talk and no action.' Anjali Huynh can be reached at
USA Today
09-06-2025
- USA Today
Karen Read trial live updates: Crash expert testifies, defense prepares to wrap case soon
Karen Read trial live updates: Crash expert testifies, defense prepares to wrap case soon Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Read's second murder trial begins with new jury Karen Read is starting her second trial after being prosecuted for the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, last year. Karen Read's second murder trial entered its eighth week Monday, with more testimony from a defense accident reconstruction expert who says Read's SUV never hit John O'Keefe. On Friday, Daniel Michael Wolfe showed jurors crash-test videos he created to simulate how Read's Lexus could have struck O'Keefe and what damage his body would have caused to the vehicle at different speeds. Wolfe said that the shattered plastic patterns created on the car's taillight during the tests did not match the cracks found on Read's car. Catch up: Karen Read trial: Can crash reconstruction expert help the defense? Prosecutors accuse Read, 45, of backing into O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, in a drunken rage and then leaving him to die in the snow outside the home of another cop after a night drinking with friends. She has been charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. Read's defense team maintains that she was framed for O'Keefe's 2022 death. They say O'Keefe was beaten by law enforcement officers who were having a house party inside the home, then bitten by a dog and thrown outside in the middle of a blizzard. The defense's case largely rests on accusations that the investigation into O'Keefe's death was mired by deceit, incompetence and bias. A jury will soon deliberate over Read's fate – again. Her first trial ended in July 2024 in a mistrial after the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict. Read told local media the defense in this case could wrap up its testimony by Tuesday, June 10. Jury instructions filed by Read's lawyers suggest that the Massachusetts woman may not testify in the retrial. They include a section informing the jury of Read's Fifth Amendment right not to testify, telling them they 'may not hold that against her.' Christopher Dearborn, a law professor at Suffolk University in Boston who has followed the case closely, said the instructions are likely a 'harbinger' that Read's attorneys are not going to call her to the stand, though he noted that they could change their mind. 'Frankly, I don't think it would make a lot of sense to call her at this point,' Dearborn said, noting the number of public statements Read has made that could be used against her. The court has already heard from Read in the trial through clips prosecutors played of interviews conducted in which she questioned whether she 'clipped' O'Keefe and admitted to driving while inebriated. Dearborn told USA TODAY that there are two schools of thought around whether to include a section on a defendant's right not to testify in jury instructions. Some defense lawyers don't include the section because they don't want to "draw a bull's eye" around the fact that the defendant didn't testify and cause jurors to "speculate," Dearborn said. Other times, he said, it is the "elephant in the room" and the specific instructions telling the jury they can't hold the defendant's lack of testimony against them are necessary. CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found outside a Massachusetts home. You can watch CourtTV's live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings begin at 9 a.m. ET.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Karen Read trial live updates: Can crash reconstruction expert help the defense?
The second murder trial of Karen Read resumed Friday with testimony from a defense accident reconstruction witness, after the trial took a one-day pause due to sweltering heat in the Massachusetts court room. Daniel Michael Wolfe, an accident reconstruction expert, began testifying about his analysis of whether Read could have killed her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe with her car. Read's defense team has sought to prove that she was framed for the death of O'Keefe, who was found underneath the snow outside the home of another cop in January 2022 after the couple went out drinking one night with friends. Prosecutors say Read backed into O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage after dropping him off at the home for a house party and then left him to die outside during a historic blizzard. She has been charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more More: Karen Read trial: Prosecution rests its case after 6 weeks. What's next in the case? Earlier in the week, jurors heard from a woman who went to the bar with Read and O'Keefe the night before his body was found and a Canton, Massachusetts, snow plow driver who said he did not see O'Keefe's body in the yard of now-retired Boston Police Officer Brian Albert as he passed by the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. This is her second trial, after her first ended last year in a hung jury. Jury instructions filed by Read's lawyers suggest that the Massachusetts woman may not testify in the retrial. They include a section informing the jury of Read's Fifth Amendment right not to testify, telling them they 'may not hold that against her.' Christopher Dearborn, a law professor at Suffolk University in Boston who has followed the case closely, said the instructions are likely a 'harbinger' that Read's attorneys are not going to call her to the stand, though he noted that they could change their mind. 'Frankly, I don't think it would make a lot of sense to call her at this point,' Dearborn said, noting the number of public statements Read has made that could be used against her. The court has already heard from Read in the trial through clips prosecutors played of interviews conducted in which she questioned whether she 'clipped' O'Keefe and admitted to driving while inebriated. Dearborn told USA TODAY that there are two schools of thought around whether to include a section on a defendant's right not to testify in jury instructions. Some defense lawyers don't include the section because they don't want to "draw a bull's eye" around the fact that the defendant didn't testify and cause jurors to "speculate," Dearborn said. Other times, he said, its the "elephant in the room" and the specific instructions telling the jury they can't hold the defendant's lack of testimony against them are necessary. CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found outside a Massachusetts home. You can watch CourtTV's live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings began at 9 a.m. ET. Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karen Read trial updates: Defense turns to crash reconstruction expert
