By Michael Coughlin Jr.
Last week, during the Egleston Square Neighborhood Association’s (ESNA) monthly meeting, Laurie Radwin, Coordinator at the Roslindale Coalition, presented thoughts on the Squares + Streets process, which is wrapping up in Roslindale Square and may be slated for Jamaica Plain in the future.
Squares + Streets, as defined on the Planning Department’s website, is a “planning and zoning initiative focused on adding, supporting, and improving housing, public space, small businesses, and arts and culture in transit-accessible neighborhood centers and along main streets.”
As part of this Squares + Streets process in Roslindale Square, the Planning Department developed a small area plan that “sets a framework for targeted housing and small business policies to support a thriving neighborhood center, opportunities to incorporate more public art and cultural activities, and strategies to expand the public realm and improve transportation safety,” per the Planning Department’s website.
It also “guides future development in the central business area and major connecting streets through a Land Use and Design Framework.”
The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board adopted this small area plan in February. The day after its adoption, the Planning Department released proposed zoning updates for Roslindale Square, which seek to implement the plan’s recommendations.
These proposed zoning updates would “map new Squares + Streets zoning districts in and around Roslindale Square,” according to the Planning Department’s website.
Radwin’s presentation began with an overview of the Squares + Streets zoning districts. The six districts, ranging from S0 to S5, have different regulations regarding use, building scale, and more.
She then shifted the conversation to housing goals. “One of the things that comes up a fair amount in Squares + Streets is how many units do you actually want to create in this new zoning that is designed to build more dense housing in transit-rich areas,” said Radwin.
Radwin thought that the city had not been forthcoming with specifics regarding how many units they wanted to build.
“So we went to the Mayor’s Office of Housing site, and we looked at Sheila Dillon’s (Boston’s Chief of Housing) goals up through 2025 that she proposed to HUD (Housing and Urban Development) in the HUD funding,” said Radwin.
“We took the proportion of units that would be based on Roslindale’s population density, and with the approval—not the building—but the actual approval of 250 more residential units by the end of this year, we will have met our contribution.”
She discussed housing production further and asserted that commonly stated ideas, such as the more housing you build, the cheaper the units will be, and that housing production relies solely on zoning and supply and demand do not necessarily tell the whole story.
“If you really look at the research and the case studies, there are a lot of factors that affect housing production,” she said.
For example, Radwin’s slideshow presentation cited a report from Richard Heyman, who has a Ph.D. in urban geography from the University of Washington, which forecasted the impacts of an initiative in Austin, Texas, that proposed to loosen zoning and land use regulations.
Radwin’s presentation highlighted that research like the above report illustrates the need to consider market preferences, demographic changes, demand-side pressures, and location specificity when discussing housing production.
Later, Radwin argued that Squares + Streets zoning was “form-based” zoning, something she says can exacerbate social inequity and lead to displacement, citing a paper in the Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law.
“This up-zoning is particularly harmful to people who are in naturally occurring affordable housing and also in small businesses because once you get as-of-right, there’s limited participation in decision making,” she said.
Eventually, Radwin pivoted to discussing the Squares + Streets process itself. She discussed some of the community engagement strategies employed by the Planning Department, such as pop-ups, tabling, and more.
“You can have a really great process of lots of pop-ups and lots of tabling, but unless you reach the people you’re aiming to reach and measure that and adjust your processes, you’re not going to get the outcome you desire.”
For example, she presented data that indicated populations of color and renters participated at a lower rate in Squares + Streets events than whites and owners and that it was not nearly representative of Roslindale’s overall demographics.
While the engagement story map for the Roslindale Square process on the Planning Department website seems to support the data, it also notes that the Department “conducted numerous pop-ups, coffee hours, and focus groups at various times of day and days of the week/weekend to engage more diverse groups,” and demographic data was not collected at these events.
Radwin also presented other data from the Roslindale Coalition’s work. In August and September, a straw poll of 61 Spanish speakers indicated that 54 had not heard about Squares + Streets, and seven had not heard enough about it.
Then, data from two Roslindale Food pantries that Coalition members visited in October revealed that out of about 120 residents, almost all had not heard about Squares + Streets.
While Radwin thanked the Planning Department and the administration for meeting with the Coalition and members of different communities, she said proposed follow-ups after these meetings never occurred.
Radwin also argued that other areas, such as Hyde Park and Fields Corner, were given extra time multiple times and had workshops that Roslindale Square did not.
Further, she took issue with the draft small area plan in Roslindale, which was released in December, just weeks before school vacations and holidays and when many people travel.
“We asked them, could you start the comment period clock after the holidays, and we were denied,” said Radwin, who indicated the comment period ended on January 31st after 50 days.
As Radwin’s presentation continued, she discussed equitable practices, the zoning proposed for Roslindale Square, fears that the rezoning could displace residents and small businesses in the area, and more.
For example, Radwin mentioned that the proposed zoning map for Roslindale Square includes S4 and S5 districts, which allows up to seven stories in the former district and up to 145 feet in the latter district.
Ultimately, Radwin called for attendees to make this a campaign issue and ask their city councilors what they would have done if Roslindale had been in their district. She also requested that residents sign petitions to prevent displacement and that the city council hold a hearing on Squares + Streets.
As noted, this Squares + Streets process may come to Jamaica Plain, as areas in the neighborhood are listed as eligible locations on the Planning Department’s website.
However, it should be noted that Caroline Peters, Jamaica Plain’s Liaison, indicated that there is no current timeline for when it might come to the neighborhood.
To view the previously mentioned petitions, visit https://www.change.org/p/the-boston-city-council-should-review-the-planning-department-s-squares-and-streets and https://www.change.org/p/prevent-displacement-of-our-boston-neighbors-and-businesses?recruiter=1332951917&recruited_by_id=6f3be2d0-7601-11e7-8513-4f829460d268&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink.
Author: Staff
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2025/03/13/esna-discusses-squares-streets/