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This is the website for the City of Boston’s new Planning Department, which launched on July 1. The staff and many responsibilities of the Boston Planning & Development Agency have moved to the Planning Department of the City of Boston including planning & zoning, urban design, development review, and real estate divisions. Please excuse any misalignment you may see on our site as we transition to the City. Learn more

Research Publications

Explore the Research Division publications below by keyword, neighborhood, or topic. If you have questions about these documents or are looking for specific information, please review the Frequently Requested Information page. This page features publications covering the most requested economic and demographic data for Boston.

A-to-Z
Boston by the Numbers - Economy & Jobs

N/A Neighborhoods

Mar 01 2011 Publication Date

Boston by the Numbers is a series created by the Research Division that highlights the characteristics of Boston's population and economy.


Topics: Income & Poverty, Labor Market
The Largest Employers in Boston 2011

N/A Neighborhoods

Mar 01 2011 Publication Date

The Largest Employers in the City of Boston is a report produced through the results of an analysis of the largest private sector companies with 500 or more employees in Boston.


Topics: Industry Profiles, Labor Market, Real Estate & Development
Encore Careers

N/A Neighborhoods

Feb 01 2011 Publication Date

Mark Melnik, deputy director of research, co-authors article in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Communities & Banking Spring 2011 issue. Demographic changes and economic growth will result in a changing labor picture that includes encore careers -- jobs filled with workers aged 55 and up. How will this impact the future labor force and labor trends?


Topics: Labor Market
The Boston Economy in 2010

N/A Neighborhoods

Jan 01 2011 Publication Date

This report profiles Boston's current economic state and analyzes past recessions with an eye toward the prospects for recovery.


Topics: Income & Poverty, Industry Profiles, Labor Market, Real Estate & Development
The Financial Impact of the Marketing & Communication Sector

N/A Neighborhoods

Jun 01 2010 Publication Date

This report, done for the Ad Club, defines and quantifies the impact and the size and scope of the marketing and communications sector in greater Boston and Massachusetts.


Topics: Industry Profiles
Boston Continues to Give More Than It Gets

N/A Neighborhoods

Apr 20 2010 Publication Date

As a follow-up to the publication released in 2006, this short report demonstrates that although Boston has increased its share of population, employment, Gross State Product, and state tax revenues, the city's share of state aid has further declined.


Topics: Industry Profiles, Labor Market, Real Estate & Development
Briefing Book - Labor Market Trends

N/A Neighborhoods

Mar 01 2010 Publication Date

The BRA's Research Division provided data and analysis for the Mayor's Office of New Bostonians (MONB) first New Bostonians Summit held on March 31, 2010. The Labor Market Trends is a Summit briefing book that looks at Metro Boston's current labor market and workforce, highlighting the importance of education and language skills both currently and in the future.


Topics: Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Income & Poverty, Labor Market, Race
Briefing Book - Education

N/A Neighborhoods

Mar 01 2010 Publication Date

The BRA's Research Division provided data and analysis for the Mayor's Office of New Bostonians (MONB) first New Bostonians Summit held on March 31, 2010. The Education and the Foreign-Born in Boston is a Summit briefing book about the differences in the educational attainment between Boston's native-born and foreign-born population.


Topics: Education, Foreign-born, Households & Families, Income & Poverty, Language, Race
Economic and Sustainablilty Benefits of Boston's ARRA Investments

N/A Neighborhoods

Mar 01 2010 Publication Date

This study estimates the near-term economic impacts and longer-term sustainability benefits of Boston’s ARRA investments.In short, this study projects significant economic impact in such things as job creation, Gross Regional Product, and tax generation, as well as longer-term sustainability benefits such as energy cost saving and water preservation. In addition, the study shows that when considering financial and sustainability efforts together, local benefits are expected to exceed costs by at least a four-to-one ratio, demonstrating a strong return on investment to the City of Boston.


Topics: Economy & Jobs
Boston Leads the Nation in NIH Awards

N/A Neighborhoods

Feb 01 2010 Publication Date

Boston leads the nation for the 14th straight year in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awards. In 2008 the full range of public, private, and non-profit agencies, firms and institutions located within the city received more than $1.6 billion in NIH awards. In conjunction with the BRA's LifeTech initiative, this Research Division publication reports again on the robust health of award funding to Boston's world-renowned hospitals, universities, and research institutions.


Topics: Industry Profiles