An undemocratic approach to planning in Newton
The following ~725-word essay originally appeared on the Ipso Facto blog, titled Newton Mayor Setti Warren’s dangerous Planning Department report, and is reposted here …
Fix It First (Part 1): Where’s the money?
I’m reading The Human City, Urbanism for the Rest of Us by renowned demographer Joel Kotkin. U.S. News & World Report says “No one knows more about cities …
Ready For The Next Election Season
Hi all, so this post marks the end of my six month commitment of writing on NewtonForum. I wrote one article a month, until …
A hopeful night at City Hall
I often leave City Hall meetings feeling frustrated, unheard, dismayed, or sometimes simply baffled. On the night of July 11, however, I was …
Area Councils
On Wednesday, September 14, the Charter Commission will be holding a public hearing and discussion panel on Area Councils. Area Councils are described in Article 9 …
City Council and the Charter Commission
The Charter Commission has been meeting since January of this year to craft a revised charter for the city. This document is the local …
State Senate to vote on developer wish list
Until a few days ago, I doubt more than one person in a thousand, even in Newton, was aware of Massachusetts Senate Bill 2311 …
The OML and Me
I consider myself a responsible and law-abiding person. I tend to err on the conservative side in terms of legal interpretations and do not …
Newton’s Boards and Commissions
Newton’s Boards and Commissions, which range in topics from the city’s urban forest to human rights, are in need of more members. According to Newton’s …
THE CHARTER COMMISSION AND NEWTON’S TURNOUT PROBLEM
“The enemy is the gramophone mind, whether or not one agrees with the record that is being played at the moment.” George Orwell For …