A big chunk of lobbying in Massachusetts is not tracked: Cities, towns are active on Beacon Hill but their activity treated differently

In March, Professor Julia Payson of New York University addressed a small group who had gathered at Boston University’s Initiative on Cities to hear about the new book she wrote — When Cities Lobby. Dr. Payson told the small crowd that the inspiration for her book came while she was a graduate student in California listening to NPR, and a strange statistic popped up: local governments in California are the state’s top spenders on lobbyists, spending more than any individual private interest. Included in that number were not only outside firms, but in-house lobbyists who worked directly for local governments. This is notable in a state where Silicon Valley billionaires, Hollywood studio heads, and some of the highest-grossing farmers in the country all live, work, and lobby.

Most mayors say housing is the biggest challenge in U.S. cities, survey finds

After a tumultuous year in the housing market amid inflation and soaring interest rates, local governments of major U.S. cities are facing a slew of economic challenges. According to the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors, which polled 118 mayors from U.S. cities with more than 75,000 residents, housing costs are at the forefront of those challenges, with 81% of mayors indicating that the issue is among their cities’ top economic priorities.

Report: Concern among mayors over housing costs dwarfs other issues

Soaring housing costs and rising inflation are driving up the cost of living in communities across the United States. Mayors are very concerned. More than 80 percent of mayors interviewed in the latest report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ annual 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors—which is based on interviews conducted last summer with 118 sitting mayors leading cities with populations greater than 75,000 people, representing 38 states—ranked housing costs as their top concern. The latest report covers economic, health and safety challenges faced by American city leaders.

US Mayors Cite Housing Costs as Most Pressing Economic Concern in New Survey by BU Researchers

Four out of five US mayors identified increasing housing costs as a top economic challenge facing their cities—far ahead of other concerns including rising living costs, poverty, and wage stagnation—though they see themselves with a limited toolset to change local housing markets. Regarding public safety, three of four mayors agree that civilians should be banned from acquiring assault rifles under any circumstances—a view that includes support from 40 percent of Republican city leaders. And mayors report feeling more accountable to their constituents on a range of public safety and health issues, from gun violence to mental health concerns, than they did when researchers posed the same questions four years ago.

US Mayors Take on Climate Change

The 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors examined how 118 mayors across the United States think about climate action. Mayors were asked about their opinions on climate change and the changes they are willing to make using regulatory powers or other local actions. Nearly all mayors surveyed worried about local impacts of climate change, including drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. Most mayors (73%) agreed that cities should use their resources and funds to address climate change locally, with mayors expressing greater interest in investing in new green technology than imposing restrictions on their citizens. The most popular motivation for local climate action was “desire to do our part” (79% chose it as their top two), followed by concern about the impacts on their city (38%) and long-term money-saving potential (29%).

Why are London’s housing estates choosing to be demolished?

The demolition forms part of a multibillion-pound “regeneration” scheme that was first announced in the early Noughties. So far, however, the site of the mooted project has shown signs of neglect rather than renewal. Residents of the estate – a mix of social tenants, leaseholders and private renters – have long struggled with the council to get mice-infested, asbestos-ridden and draughty homes fixed. Their community centre has closed and the community has hollowed out as neighbours have sold up or been moved out in anticipation of the long-awaited redevelopment.

Defensible Space on the Move by Loretta Lees and Elanor Warwick (Book Review)

Newman’s core idea was that by designing segmented spaces that are easily controlled, we can create safer and more community-oriented housing. Lees and Warwick’s Defensible Space on the Move is highly recommended in this context for its forensic account of the evolution of Newman’s concept, as it influenced Alice Coleman’s Utopia on Trial, and how it was taken up by housing policy and practice in the UK. It is of especial interest to space syntax experts for its coverage of the interaction between Coleman’s ideas on the one hand, and early space syntax studies of housing and of crime, on the other. Indeed, Defensible Space coincides almost perfectly with Hillier’s earliest work at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, soon after he moved here from the RIBA’s Intelligence Unit.

In national survey, mayors say real climate change progress may fall on their residents

Mayors on both sides of the political aisle have a range of worries on climate change, and found common ground regarding potential solutions in a recent poll by the Boston University Initiative on Cities. While the majority of top city leaders want investment in environmentally friendly municipal vehicles, they also believe that if meaningful climate change progress is to happen, the onus is on “residents to make real sacrifices.”