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Planning Initiatives in Allston-Brighton

It is a priority for the Planning Department that as many people as possible are empowered to participate, ask questions, and provide feedback on planning initiatives. Planning staff coordinate across initiatives and with City of Boston departments and identify needs for additional coordination in Allston-Brighton specifically. This page contains resources conveniently located in one place. For more information about development projects, please refer to the Development Review page.

Allston-Brighton communities have engaged in a number of planning initiatives over the past decade. In 2022, the Harvard Allston Task Force advocated for several Allston-Brighton planning initiatives through the BPDA Article 80 Development Review of the Harvard Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) Phase A. As a result of this advocacy, funding has been committed to the following planning projects:

All of these planning initiatives are guided by Mayor Wu’s Vision for planning and development which includes reforming the City of Boston’s Zoning Code, Improving our Development Review Process, and conducting citywide initiatives like the Boston Design Vision and Squares + Streets.

Overview of Planning Initiatives in Allston-Brighton

Graphic showing scales and range in years of planning initiatives and other BPDA projects in Allston and Brighton.

Click on the image to view it larger and to be able to click on the text with active website links.


Allston-Brighton Needs Assessment

March 2023 – January 2024

Over the summer and fall of 2023, AURA on behalf of the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) conducted a needs assessment for the Allston and Brighton neighborhoods with the goals to: 

  1. Empower the community to advocate for benefits from private development projects;
  2. Provide other City agencies and local non-profits with analysis to inform their decision-making, and
  3. Prepare for the upcoming Allston-Brighton Community Plan.

The Final Report was adopted by the BPDA Board in January, 2024. This document includes an executive summary, project methodology, findings, and recommendations.


Harvard Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) District and Greenway Plan

June 2023 – May 2024

The Harvard ERC District and Greenway Plan seeks to establish a community vision and priorities for the area centered on equitable growth, transportation needs, resilience, and an accessible and active open space and public realm. The planning and engagement process will help shape the design and activation of a proposed greenway that runs east to west through the site and codify zoning, recommend community benefits, and develop urban design guidelines to inform future development within the study area.

To get involved, Take the SurveyShare Your Thoughts, and participate in upcoming events.


Beacon Park Yard Regional Framework Plan

June 2023 – December 2024

The Beacon Park Yard Regional Framework Plan (BPY Plan) will complement and inform the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) Allston Multimodal Project. The BPY Plan will develop a community vision to explore and refine opportunities unlocked by the replacement and redesign of the Allston Interchange.

To get involved, participate in upcoming events and share your thoughts!


Western Avenue Transitway Plan and Design

October 2023 – August 2024

The Western Avenue Transitway Plan and Design effort will support plans in Go Boston Boston 2030 and  Western Avenue Corridor and Rezoning Study (WACRZ) to continue to advance safe, reliable, multimodal street design and buildout, coordinate and comprehensive transportation planning analysis, and subsequent approach to designing improvements for the Transitway.


Allston-Brighton Community Plan

January 2024 – September 2025

The Allston-Brighton Community Plan (ABCP) is a 20-month planning process that will develop a shared vision for future change, in close collaboration with the Allston-Brighton community.

To get involved, check-out Allston-Brighton Data Stories, participate in upcoming events, and share your thoughts!

Related Planning Efforts

Citywide efforts led by the Planning Department

Boston Design Vision
Squares + Streets

Previous Planning in Allston-Brighton led by the BPDA

Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning
Allston-Brighton Mobility Plan
I-90 Allston Interchange Placemaking Study
Brighton/Guest Street Planning Study & Urban Design Guidelines
North Allston-Brighton Community-Wide Plan (CWP)
Western Avenue / Soldiers Field Road / Birmingham Parkway Intersection Improvements

Planning led by the City of Boston

Go Boston 2030
Imagine Boston 2030
Boston Green Links
Allston-Brighton Arts, Culture, and Placekeeping
Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4

Language Access

Language access services are available to you free of charge. Please reach out to request.

Los servicios de acceso a idiomas están disponibles sin cargo.

您可以免费获得中文翻译服务。请联系要求提供翻译

Upcoming Planning Events in Allston-Brighton

There are no events or meetings on the Calendar at this time. Please check back again soon.

Visit our Calendar section for more events.


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Share Your Thoughts

We want to hear from you! All questions, comments and ideas are welcome. Comments are received and reviewed by members of the Planning in Allston-Brighton team.

To submit a comment in a language besides English, please email [email protected].
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