Brookline by Design advocates for policies and initiatives that improve the Town’s land-use1 planning process, its approach to zoning2, and the regulation of growth and development to ensure the future well-being of the Town and its current and future residents.
We support comprehensive and inclusive community planning that takes into account the long-term impacts of Town decisions on affordability, infrastructure capacity, quality of life, commercial vitality, environmental sustainability, Town services, and historic assets.
Brookline by Design supports fact-based planning that focuses on maintaining and creating neighborhoods and commercial corridors that are accessible and welcoming to residents with a variety of lifestyles and needs. Such planning must also incorporate intentional steps to protect and increase racial, cultural, income, and age diversity.
Our approach has garnered broad community support. The nearly unanimous vote in favor of our Warrant Article calling for a comprehensive planning process resulted in the Select Board appointing a Planning Process Study Committee, which will be issuing an RFP for the planning process this spring. We supported several successful Warrant Articles at the Fall 2022 Town Meeting focused on reducing demolitions and increased design review.
Meanwhile, the MA state legislature has passed the MBTA Communities Act, which requires all municipalities served by the MBTA to make zoning changes to create the capacity for by-right multi-family housing—in our case, 6,990 units. We have choices about how we comply with this mandate, and BBD is stressing the need for understanding and foresight about the consequences of any proposed zoning change. We also support efforts to explore other compliance alternatives.
Brookline by Design seeks to endorse Town Meeting candidates who support a thoughtful, holistic approach to growth and development that is aligned with these goals.
To request an endorsement, please complete the questions below and click the submit button located at the bottom of the page. We will consider voting records, direct conversations, and questionnaire responses.
(1) Land use: The use of land for human activities (e.g. residential, cultural, recreational, open space, commercial activities, and other uses) and the impact of those uses on the natural and human environments
(2) Zoning: Land-use regulations that define new uses and development guidelines such as height, density, and setbacks