Families are leaving Boston. What is Boston’s millennial mom mayor doing about that?
Despite a series of pro-family policies from City Hall, the number of children in Boston continues to decline.
Mayor Michelle Wu has long worn her motherhood on her sleeve.
From nursing her infant sons at City Council meetings, to commuting with them as toddlers on the Orange Line, to carrying her newborn, Mira, on the campaign trail, Wu has put her status as a parent front and center, and says the heart of her mayoral agenda is to make Boston the “most family-friendly city in America.”
That is not by accident.
Massachusetts Officials Praise Statewide AI Progress at BU Event
Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences hosted AI experts to talk about the technology’s future and potential for job growth and innovation. As AI’s role in local, national, and global economies continues to expand, Massachusetts—a leading technology innovator, thanks in large part to its density of higher education institutions—is becoming a key player in artificial intelligence development.
Report points to Trump cuts as latest obstacle to region’s housing growth
As more people in the Boston area feel squeezed by the housing market, they’re facing a new hurdle: a drop in the economic growth that normally spurs new construction.
So far, the slowdown has done little to relieve a growing affordability gap for buyers and renters, according to the Greater Boston Housing Report Card released on Nov. 12 by The Boston Foundation, its researchers at Boston Indicators, and Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. But, in contrast with previous reports, researchers went beyond local regulatory hurdles to blame federal funding cuts, immigration policies, and tariffs introduced under President Trump for creating “deep uncertainty” in what has long been one of the country’s least affordable housing markets.
Boston City Hall is considering selling official city merch. Could hats and mugs help pad Boston’s budget?
Imagine T-shirts emblazoned with Boston’s city seal. Parks and Recreation Department coffee mugs. Boston police-branded sweat shirts, or Boston Public Library tote bags. Ever wanted to don apparel representing your favorite city department? The opportunity could be close at hand.
City Hall officials are exploring the possibility of launching a city-branded merchandise licensing program — not only to sell official Boston swag to residents, tourists, and local government enthusiasts, but also to potentially trademark historic city symbols and department logos.
MBTA Mapmaking in Focus Thanks to City Planning & Urban Affairs, Initiative on Cities
On Monday, October 27, the BU Metropolitan College City Planning & Urban Affairs (CPUA) program and BU Initiative on Cities hosted a pair of visitors sure to excite budding cartographers and public transit devotees curious as to just who it is that behind one of Boston’s most famous legends.
Former Brookline firefighter whose legal battle put a spotlight on racial discrimination has died
Gerald Alston, a onetime Brookline firefighter whose yearslong legal battle against the town pulled back the curtain on racial discrimination, has died at age 57. Four years ago, Brookline reached a landmark $11 million settlement with Alston, who was fired after he complained of racial bias in the workplace and reported a supervisor who left a racial slur on his voicemail.
Child Gun Injury Risk Spikes When Children Leave School for the Day
In the United States, child firearm violence prevention focuses largely on school shootings, even though the majority of child gun injuries occur outside of schools. A new study led by School of Public Health researchers provides additional insight into this gun violence threat, showing that children’s risk of being shot rises as soon as the school day ends.
GBH Daily: 85% of renters can’t afford to buy a starter home
Half of renters in the Boston area spend more than a third of their income on rent, and only 15% earn enough that they could afford to buy a starter home in the region, according to the Greater Boston Housing Report Card, released yesterday by the Boston Foundation. That means households need an income of $162,000 a year to afford one of the region’s less expensive homes. Just four years ago, researchers estimated 30% of Boston-area renters could afford to buy a starter home.
Report card: Affordability gap grows for those seeking starter homes in Mass.
While housing construction is up and home prices have stabilized, researchers expect home buyers and renters will continue to face affordability headwinds in Massachusetts. Home prices and rents have flattened in 2025 but are still “historically” high, according to a 108-page Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 released by The Boston Foundation and Boston Indicators on Wednesday.
Can you afford a “starter home” in the Boston area? Housing report says only 15% of renters make enough.
A new report shows it’s increasingly difficult for renters to make the leap to home ownership in the Boston area. The Boston Foundation’s 2025 Housing Report Card says that just 15% of renter households can afford a “starter home” in Greater Boston. The report defines a starter home as one that’s in the bottom tier of home values because it’s smaller or in a less expensive neighborhood.