Gentrification

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

Paul McMorrow writes about gentrification in Union Square. He notes that with the arrival of the Green Line, it will be much more desirable to live in. This will cause an increase in demand for housing there, and that there are two choices: Allow enough additional housing to be built to prevent prices from rising insanely, or preserve its "character" (appearance) at the cost of pricing out just about everybody who already lives there.

"Desirable, inexpensive, low-density -- choose any two!"

Comments

[gruene.livejournal.com]

It's been "upzoned" for years. Look at the city's zoning maps, there's a special TOD zone around Union Square in anticipation of the Green Line: http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/ZoningMapColor2010-03_0.pdf

(TOD = Transit Oriented Development)

To get the definitions of the abbreviations on the map read article 6 of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance: http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=14682&stateId=21&stateName=Massachusetts