Updated December 2, 2008 - Click here to download a PDF version of this strategy.

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.  This can be linked 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, the region must address underperforming schools, expand crime prevention and youth violence programs, and reinvest in urban quality of life and place.