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From YouTube: Commissioners Corner: Brian Golden, BPDA Director
Description
Mayor Walsh is committed to having an administration that is accountable to all residents, no matter who you are or where you live. Commissioners Corner introduces you to your city leaders, who will showcase their agencies and discuss information that is important to everyone in this great city. Najya Mawasi is joined by Brian Golden, Director of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), to discuss Boston's real estate boom, the revitalized Dudley Square area, why this is exciting for Boston's business community, and how Boston residents can give input to ongoing development plans.
A
A
Boston
neighborhoods
are
experienced
in
major
transformations
throughout
Dorchester
Roxbury,
Jamaica,
Plain,
downtown
Boston
and
other
neighborhoods.
New
housing
is
being
developed.
It's
all
happening
to
accommodate
the
rapid
growth
of
new
residents
and
to
maintain
a
robust
and
vibrant
City.
Mayor
Walsh's
vision
for
Boston
is
of
a
thriving,
healthy
and
innovative
city
that
bridges
equality
and
opportunity
for
all.
How
do
these
new
developments
impact
you
you're
about
to
find
out?
Brian
golden
the
director
of
Boston
planning
and
development
agency
is
with
us
today.
A
A
B
So
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency,
formerly
known
as
the
Boston
Redevelopment
Authority,
the
DRA,
is
responsible
for
four
core
functions
in
the
city,
where
the
city's
Planning
agency
do
all
the
city's
urban
planning.
We
permit
major
real
estate
development
projects.
We
own
significant
amounts
of
real
estate,
primarily
in
the
Charlestown
Navy
Yard,
which
we
took
from
the
federal
government
in
the
1970s
same,
is
true
over
in
the
Ray
Flynn
Marine
Park,
the
D
formally
known
as
the
Boston
marine
industrial
park.
That's
over
in
the
South
Boston
waterfront.
B
There's
mass
port
facilities
there,
cruise
terminals
in
a
variety
of
industrial
uses
that
again
was
a
federal
Department
of
Defense
facility
up
through
the
mid-1970s.
So
we
took
both
these
parcels,
Charlestown
Navy
Yard
and
the
Marine
Park
over
in
South
Boston,
and
we
redeveloped
them.
So
they
are
sort
of
significant
economic
engines
in
the
city
and
they
help
provide
revenue
that
fund
the
agency
and
all
of
our
development
activity.
B
What
we
also
do
is
we
run
the
mayor's
office
of
Workforce,
Development,
owd
and
simply
put
what
owd
does
is
invests
in
workforce
training.
We
we
spend
about
20
million
dollars
a
year,
helping
Bostonians
acquire
the
education
and
vocational
skills
necessary
to
compete
in
the
economy
of
the
21st
century.
Ok,.
A
We're
going
to
get
into
that
if
you
provide
workshops
and
programs
for
residents
within
the
city
were
correct
to
talk
about
that
a
little
bit
later,
but
I
want
to
dig
into
the
development.
When
did
this,
because
there's
a
lot
of
development
going
up
through
the
city
of
Boston,
when
did
these?
When
did
this
process
begin?
Why?
Why
now
sure.
B
What
you're
witnessing
now
is
a
recovery
from
the
Great,
Recession
and
financial
crisis
of
2008
I
came
to
work
at
the
then
Boston
Redevelopment
Authority
in
2009.
Nothing
was
being
built
in
the
city,
I
think
it's
important
for
you
to
realize
it
wasn't
that
long
ago
that
nothing
was
being
built
and
we're
playing
catch-up.
B
The
2008
recession
Sardu
reality
where
no
one
was
investing
in
real
estate
development,
so
occasionally
a
university
or
medical
institution
was
able
to
finance
a
development
because
of
their
own
particular
capital
campaigns
that
raised
money,
but
normal
development
is
through
a
combination
of
conventional
death
and
conventional
equity
investments,
and
that
was
all
gone
after
2008,
because
the
global
financial
crisis
in
recession
was
preventing
or
dissuading
people
from
investing.
But
a
few
years
later,
the
economy
continued
to
turn
upward
people
were
looking
for
good
places
to
invest
the
money.
There
was
a
lot
of
pent-up
demand.
B
B
None
in
oh,
wait
on
I,
know
10,
but
we've
cycled
out
98
projects
over
20,000
square
feet.
Each
some
of
them
are
over
a
million
square
feet,
but
we've
got
98
different
project
that
are
20,000
square
feet,
are
bigger,
driving
the
Boston
real
estate
development
economy
and
important
for
people
to
understand
it's
the
biggest
building
boom
in
the
history
of
the
city.
From
the
colonial
period
forward.
We
haven't.
A
B
I
have
I
believe
Dudley
is
an
exciting
part
of
the
the
development
story
in
the
and
from
an
economic
development
standpoint,
broader
than
simply
real
estate.
Development.
Dudley
is
a
success
story.
Obviously
it
wasn't
so
long
ago
that
we
opened
the
doors
on
on
the
Bruce
bowling
building,
which
is
the
headquarters
of
the
Boston
School
Department,
an
award-winning
public
structure
that
has
served
as
an
anchor
for
further
investment
people
in
and
around
Dudley
want
to
invest
there
obviously
Dudley's,
not
that
far
from
the
core
downtown.
B
So
we're
there,
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency
right
now
we're
in
the
midst
of
a
planning
exercise
with
with
community
residents
and
community
organizations
and
other
leaders
shaping
a
vision
for
the
future
and
then
we'll
begin
to
see
development
populate
that
planning
vision,
but
but
a
lot
of
activity
in
Dudley
already
lot
of
investment
in
and
around
Dudley.
And
we
see
that
ratcheting
up
the
more
planning
we
do.
How.
B
So,
as
the
city
planning
agency,
we
work
very
closely
with
the
Boston
Landmarks
Commission,
which
has
a
specific
regulatory
oversight
portfolio
regarding
historic
preservation
and,
in
addition
to
the
city
efforts
both
with
the
BPD.
A
our
agency
in
the
Landmarks
Commission
is
the
mass
Historical
Commission
MHC
at
the
state
level,
which
is
overseen
by
the
Secretary
of
State.
B
So
obviously
we
we
can't
preserve
every
single
thing
in
the
city
that
happens
to
be
old,
but
we
do
have
a
very
rigorous
process
for
everything
that
is
old.
Its
analyzed
by
us,
as
well
as
the
other
agencies.
I
just
mentioned,
to
make
sure
that
we
identify
those
things.
That
should
and
must
be
protected,
and
we
go
ahead,
inform
plans
and
development
with
an
eye
toward
protection.
B
So
I
think
we
understand
is
almost
a
sacred
trust
there,
where
we're
one
of
the
oldest
cities
in
North,
America
and
so
much
of
what
makes
us
attractive
as
a
place
to
live
visit
and
invest,
is
our
historic
characteristics
that
really
are
unparalleled.
You
know
there
might
be
arguments
about
a
couple
cities,
yeah
I,.
A
B
Rectified
bowling
helding
well,
not
only
is
it
being
preserved
as
an
important
transportation
hub
that
will
play
a
more
central
role
in
connecting
people
throughout
the
city.
As
far
as
we
can
see
into
the
future,
it's
the
busiest
bus
bus
terminal
in
the
city
of
Boston.
That's
where
it
all
comes
together.
You
can
get
on
a
bus
right
near
my
house
and
often
and
go
straight
into
Dudley,
and
that's
that's
not
that's
a
significant
ways
away.
B
A
B
A
B
Upon
something
really
important,
one
of
the
reasons
why
we
named
ourselves
the
end
of
last
year,
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency.
There
were
a
variety
of
reasons,
but
the
Boston
Redevelopment
Authority.
When
you
listen
to
that
name,
it
doesn't
tell
you
much
about
what
we
do.
It
tells
you
about
the
redevelopment
focus,
but
we're
also
the
city's
planning
agency,
and
we
thought
it
was
important
to
get
that
front
and
center
in
people's
minds.
B
One
of
the
best
ways
to
do
it
is
to
change
your
name
and
make
sure
a
planning
is
at
least
mentioned
so
not
all
of
it
mentioned.
It's
mentioned.
First,
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency.
We
want
people
to
know
that
we
are
about
community
oriented
planning
that
gives
a
meaningful
voice
to
neighbors
in
their
neighborhoods
with
regard
to
the
future
of
their
communities,
and
then
we
build
developments
that
are
consistent
with
those
plans
that
the
neighborhood
has
participated
in
that's.
B
These
planning
functions
are
really
important,
we're
doing
more
of
it
than
we
historically
have
in
recent
decades,
and,
as
you
mentioned,
we've
done
some
in
the
Jaypee
Rocks
corridor,
Washington
Street,
Forest
Hills
to
eggleston,
we've
done
it
in
Dorchester
Ave
Broadway
station
and
we're
doing
it
in
Glover's
corner
near
Freeport
Street
in
Dorchester
AB
we're
doing
it
in
Dudley
we're
doing
it
in
in
multiple
other
locations
to
be
announced
soon.
Basically,
if
these
things
take
a
lot
of
time
and
effort
resources,
you.
B
The
city
at
98
large
real
estate
development
projects,
and
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we're
getting
ahead
of
the
curve
where
we
see
development
heating
up
we're
doing
the
best
we
can
to
get
some
planning
in
place
so
that
when
the
development
actually
comes,
it's
coming
into
a
well-planned
environment.
How.
B
Sure,
well,
the
market
tells
us
a
lot.
We
know
where
people
are
interested
in
developed,
okay,
we
know
where
people
are
interested
in
building,
and
so
we
can't
always
get
ahead
of
it.
We'd
argue
that
every
time
there
is
a
development
being
proposed,
if
we
think
it's
a
good
development
in
the
community,
think
it's
a
good
development.
We'll
do
we'll
apply
sound
planning
principles
to
each
development
isn't,
but
to
the
extent
we
can
to
the
extent
we
have
the
resources
and
staff
time.
B
Think,
ahead
of
the
development
curve
hey,
this
is
an
area
people
seem
interested
in
developing
in
let's
get
some
good
planning
done,
so
the
planning
is
out
of
the
way
before
the
development
shows
up.
We
try
to
do
both.
Sometimes
the
developments
in
front
of
us,
as
you
mentioned,
is
90
year
already.
We
apply
sound
planning
principles
wherever
development
is
taking
place,
but
to
the
extent
we
can,
we
do
a
much
broader
planning
study
with
community
participation
to
get
ready
for
development.
That's
not
quite
here
yet.
That's.
A
B
A
great
question
and
I
say
when
people
ask
about
downtown
development,
whether
you
ever
foot
in
one
of
these
commercial
office,
towers
or
residential
towers
downtown
or
not,
but
do
you
ever
go
near
them
or
not
they're,
paying
significant
dividends
for
the
people
Boston
throughout
the
city,
for
instance,
new
development
this
year,
this
fiscal
year
which
ends
in
June,
is
throwing
off
75
million
new
tax
dollars.
So
the
city
of
Boston's
revenues
this
fiscal
year
have
grown
by
about
150
million
dollars
from
the
prior
year.
B
Half
of
that
is
from
brand-new
development
being
taxed
for
the
first
time,
75
million
dollars
that
goes
toward
addressing
the
needs,
the
launched
the
desires,
the
aspirations
of
people
of
the
people
of
Boston
throughout
the
city
again.
So
no
matter
where
you're
coming
from
no
matter
whether
or
not
you
go
to
work
or
visit.
One
of
these
buildings,
that's
75
million
dollars
in
additional
development
property
tax
revenue
is
paying
dividends
for
the
people
Boston,
the
other
thing
residential
development,
so
every
residential
development
over
ten
units
in
Boston
is
required
to
either
create
affordable
housing
on-site.
B
If
it's
a
residential
development,
that's
gonna
make
attainment
to
the
extent
it
isn't
done,
off-site
you're,
going
to
make
a
per-unit
payment
to
the
city
of
Boston
and
that
payment
can
only
be
used
to
create
affordable
housing
by
the
city's
Department
of
Neighborhood
Development.
So
again,
whether
you
live
or
visit,
one
of
these
towers
or
not,
there
are
either
units
being
created
in
those
residential
towers,
are
cash
being
generated
by
those
towers
to
create
affordable
housing
in
the
city.
B
So
again,
a
big
win
for
for
people,
whether
or
not
they're
living
in
these
so-called
luxury
towers
downtown
and
on
in
another
policy
linkage
which
has
been
around
for
a
couple
of
decades,
but
linkage
requires
commercial
buildings
office
buildings
to
generate
both
based
on
the
square
footage
of
the
building,
affordable
housing
payments
and
job
training
payments.
So
some
of
the
money
we
administer
is
a
Workforce
Development
Agency
is
the
money
being
generated
by
commercial
office
towers.
B
A
You
just
broke
that
down
very
clear
I'm
glad,
thank
you
so
much
because
that
does
raise
some
concerns
for
residents.
So
thank
you
for
that.
But
you
talked
about
aspirations
and
dreams.
Let's
talk
about
that.
How
these
developments
actually
help
the
residents
in
Boston,
you
give
us
some
detailed
information.
I
know:
there's
a
program
free
college
tuition
program,
I
think
that's
great
absolute
awk
about
that.
Absolutely.
B
B
A
Develop
jobs
I
actually
was
looking
through
that
because
I
wanted
to,
you
know
be
clear
on
what
that
actually
involves,
and
it's
actually
a
really
really
good
program,
and
basically
anyone
that
has
the
aspiration
a
dream
of
continuing
their
education
can
basically
do
that.
How
what
information?
Where
can
they
go
to?
You
know,
find
that
sure.
B
B
No,
you
do
actually,
in
the
past
couple
years,
our
IT
staff
we've
invested
in
a
web
presence,
we've
invested
in
IT
and
and
a
big
piece
of
that
is
making
what
we
do
more
transparent
and
accessible
to
the
people
of
Boston.
So
whether
you're
interested
in
the
planning
effort
a
development
project
in
your
neighborhood
on
some
of
these,
these
training
programs
and
education
programs,
often
through
the
mayor's
office
of
workforce
development,
you
can
find
it
all
through
our
website.
Also.
B
A
So
you
talked
about.
Thank
you.
You
talked
about
transparency,
the
mayor,
and
you
know
that's.
Basically
what
he's
about
is
proving
and
showing
transparency
you.
There
are
workshops
and
also
public
meetings
and
people
can
submit
questions
or
you
know,
talk
about
their
concerns
or
their
joy
about
what's
going
on
around
the
city,
what's
happening
inside
of
those
meetings,
sure.
B
We're
we're
in
a
continuing
process
of
growth
and
evolution.
One
of
the
reasons
we
changed,
our
name
from
Boston
Redevelopment
Authority
to
the
Boston,
Planning
and
Development
Agency
is
the
DRA
had
some
baggage.
It
was
60
years
old.
It
would
be
60
years
old.
Today
it
was
formed
in
1957
to
help
jump
start
development
in
Boston
and
it
had
some
tremendous
successes.
B
B
Often
as
working
behind
closed
doors,
in
only
interfacing
interacting
with
the
public,
when
it
absolutely
must
so,
we've
tried
to
move
it
in
the
opposite
direction.
When
in
doubt,
we
go
out
to
the
public
when
in
doubt
we
err
on
the
side
of
transparency,
not
obscurity,
not
on
the
opaque
practices
of
the
past.
We
want
people
to
know
what
we're
doing
and
why
we're
doing
it.
So
we
do
more
community
meetings.
We've
been
we've
been
studied
by
by
a
variety
of
different
entities.
B
Graduate
students
who
analyzed
our
practices
at
some
of
the
the
urban
planning
programs
in
Metro,
Boston
McKinsey,
came
in
to
to
do
a
consultancy
and
reviewed
our
operations
two
years
ago.
Most
of
the
feedback
we
get
is
we're
doing
far
more.
As
far
as
our
openness
to
the
community,
our
interactions,
our
public
meetings,
are
public
processes
than
most
of
our
peer
cities
in
America,
so
we're
always
out
in
the
neighborhood
I
go
out.
Staff
goes
out
and
we
talk
to
people
where
we
think
we
need
to
be
look.
B
Think
we're
doing
a
good
job
at
that.
We're
also
I
would
say
you
I,
thank
you
and
we
we
feel
we
can't
change
perceptions
overnight
of
the
agency
correct,
but
but
if
we
work
day
after
day
in
the
long
run
will
be
viewed
as
a
much
more
legitimate
force
for
good
in
the
city
than
maybe
the
Br
Ray
had
had
been
viewed
in
the
past
yeah.
A
A
A
B
A
pretty
basic
reason:
Boston's
getting
bigger,
getting
a
lot
better
busy.
Yes,
when
I
grew
up
in
ba
I've,
been
here
my
whole
life
when
I
was
growing
up
in
the
70s
and
80s
1980
was
Boston's
low
point
for
population
five
hundred
sixty
thousand
people
in
the
city
in
nineteen.
Eighty,
that's
down
from
world
war
ii,
world
war,
two
nineteen,
fifty
and
the
world
war.
Two
early
50s,
the
population
was
eight
hundred
thousand
people.
B
It
dropped
to
five
hundred
sixty
thousand
people
by
1980
today
we're
at
six
hundred
seventy
thousand
people
so
we're
at
a
significant
increase
in
our
population.
Now,
between
1980
and
2010,
we
were
adding
about
a
thousand
to
fifteen
hundred
people
a
year
to
the
city's
population.
That's
when
we
began
to
grow
again,
but.
B
B
Look
at
the
edge
of
the
meds
sure
you
look
at
the
eds,
intimate
area
colleges
and
universities
in
the
medical
institutions,
either
you're
interested
in
studying
there
or
working
there
are
you're
working
at
a
business.
That
is
an
offshoot
that
either
directly
or
indirectly,
indirectly
flows
from
that
activity.
So
the
so
called
Ed's
and
meds
are
really
important.
B
Players
in
the
economy
of
the
21st
century,
they've
always
been
important,
but
there
is
a
nude
global
focus
on
Boston
because
of
those
qualities,
30
34
colleges
and
universities
in
in
Metro
Boston,
the
vast
majority
them
in
the
city
itself,
yeah,
not
to
mention
world-class
medical
institutions.
That
really
are
the
best
in
the
world
and
that's.
B
People
now
we
have
GE
but
you're
right.
This
is
the
synergy,
the
more
things
like
this
happen,
the
more
they
continue
to
happen
now,
the
GES
coming
here,
the
United
States,
is
sixth
largest
corporation,
is
making
its
headquarters
in
Boston
they're,
already
here,
they're
building
a
new
building
they're
already
here
and
operating
out
of
here
when
something
like
GE
comes
to
Boston
other
companies
all
over
the
world,
look
at
Boston
and
say:
maybe
maybe
we
should
think
about
going
there.
B
Population
is
growing
and
what
we
have
to
do
with
the
growing
population
is
build
housing
to
accommodate
that
population,
because
if
we
don't,
if
we
don't
build
new
housing,
significant
new
amounts
of
housing,
what
happens
to
the
existing
housing
stock?
Tremendous
pressure
on
it?
Tremendous
pressure,
new
Bostonians
new
people
arriving
in
the
city
who
want
to
buy,
are
driving
the
prices
up
both
for
rentals
and
for
purchase
opportunities,
so
that
that
will
make
displacement
a
much
greater
danger
to
the
existing
population
of
Boston.
B
So
the
traditional
working-class
neighborhoods
of
Boston
they're,
going
to
be
far
more
under
siege
by
the
new
arrivals
who
are
coming
with
significant
professional
backgrounds,
white-collar
educated,
new
arrivals
who
are
going
to
buy
the
to
family
or
three-decker
that
the
people
live
in
in
the
in
our
in
our
traditional
working-class
neighborhoods.
That
increases
the
prices
that's
already
happening.
But
if
we
build
new
stock
to
draw
that
those
new
arrivals
into
the
new
stock,
we
can
take
the
pressure
off
the
existing
stock.
B
A
B
A
liveable,
thriving,
healthy
City
requires
significant,
meaningful,
open
space
and
you
look
downtown's
at
some
real
crown
jewels,
but
most
people
on
a
daily
basis
or
a
weekly
basis,
experience
Boston's,
open
spaces
and
their
neighborhoods
and
Mayor
Walsh
is
committed
to
making
sure
that
we
have
the
best
parks
in
in
the
nation
and
in
during
his
tenure
as
mayor.
The
city
has
invested
more
money
in
parks
than
it
ever
has
before
in
its
history
and
we're
proud
of
that.
B
But
every
development
decision
we
make
at
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency
is
done
with
a
finite
ORD.
Some
really
fundamental
benefits
to
the
people
of
Boston,
affordable
housing.
Our
decisions
associated
with
development
since
2000
have
yielded
a
hundred
million
dollars
in
cash.
That
is,
is
providing
a
new,
affordable
housing
in
Boston.
B
We
we
spend
a
lot
of
time
making
sure
that
housing
is
being
created
near
mass
transit
and
that
that
road,
infrastructure
and
transportation
infrastructure
is
adequate
to
the
challenge
of
new
development,
and
we
focus
really
clearly
on
a
quality
of
life,
imperative
open
space
and
we're
doing
it
everywhere.
Over
in
the
Seaport
16,
new
acres
of
open
space
will
come
online.
The
Parks
and
Rec
Commissioner
Chris
Cook
who's,
a
wonderful
leader
for
our
Park
System,
is
almost
embedded
in
our
functions.
B
Everything
we
do
in
the
development
world
has
an
I
turned
to
the
need
for
meaningful,
open
space.
So
if
that
means
ARC's
needs
revenue
to
invest
in
existing
parks,
we
try
to
work
with
developers
to
make
sure
those
investments
occur
in
and
around
their
development.
We
also
work
with
with
developers
to
make
sure
they
create
new
open
space
if
we
think
there
is
an
absence
of
it
near
their
development.
B
A
B
So
one
of
you
Busta's
sure
in
again,
I
encourage
anyone
interested
to
just
do
a
search
for
imagine,
Boston,
2030.
Okay,
this
is
the
mayor's
commitment
to
a
well
planned
future
for
the
city.
Some
of
that
involves
land-use
planning,
but
the
imagine
2030
is
not
just
about
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency
in
real
estate
development.
It's
about
open
space.
It's
about
climate
change
and
sea
level
rise.
It's
about
transportation.
B
B
And
economic
equity,
so
imagine,
Boston
2030
has
been
a
two-year
effort
to
set
specific
goals
for
Boston
and
2030.
What
do
we
want
the
city
to
look
like
in
2030
and
now
that
we're
coming
to
the
end
of
that
process,
identifying
the
goals
will
identify
specific
policies,
specific
interventions
that
will
help
us
achieve
those
goals.