Idea City
How to make Boston More Livable, Equitable, and Resilient
Racial strife, increased social and economic discrimination, amplified political friction, and growing uncertainty around the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have laid bare many inequalities within the city of Boston. How will these disruptions and inequities influence the city’s future, especially as Boston celebrates its quadricentennial in 2030?
This collection of original essays addresses the many challenges Boston contends with in the twenty-first century and considers ways to improve the city for everyone. Presenting a range of perspectives written by area experts—academics, reflective practitioners, and policymakers—these essays tackle issues of resiliency, mobility, affordable housing, health outcomes, social equity, economic equality, zoning, regionalism, and more. Reflecting the diversity of the city and the challenges and opportunities Boston currently faces, Idea City will help readers think differently about their own areas of expertise and draw conclusions from urban regeneration work in other fields.
Rebuilding the American City
Design and Strategy for the 21st Century Core
Author Bios
David Gamble is a registered architect and certified urban planner. David is the Principal of Gamble Associates, an architecture, urban design, and planning firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The practice focuses on urban revitalization and community development.
Patty Heyda is and Assistant Professor of Urban Design at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. She conducts research on processes shaping contemporary urbanization through drawing, writing, and design projects.