Related Guides
Greenovate Boston
Websites
Sustainability & Green Design
- Boston Area Sustainability Group (BASG) “… is about bringing sustainability practitioners together to share ideas, experiences andbest practices as to elevate the practice of sustainability.”
- BostonCAN. Boston Climate Action Network Click on Resources for information on neighborhood-based sustainability groups; statewide and regional organizations; national and international efforts.
- GRCx Green Ribbon Commission Climate Action Exchange A group of business, institutional and civic leaders in Boston working to develop shared strategies for fighting climate change in coordination with the city’s Climate Action Plan.
- Boston Society of Architects Committee on the Environment This BSA committee covers green building, construction and operation practices and methods.
- Environment, Energy, and Open Space (City of Boston) The mission of the Environment, Energy and Open Space Cabinet is to preserve and enhance the resources of our built and natural environment, to promote affordable, efficient, reliable and safe energy systems, and to provide clean, green, safe and accessible open space for residents and visitors.
- Greenovate Boston Resources for residents.
- Green Roundtable .“… an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to mainstream green, healthy, efficient, and intentional building and development.”
- Sustainability@BU. “… comprises a broad range of stakeholder groups on campus to provide the greatest diversity of representation and opinion. The program is made up of sustainability@BU, Dining Services Sustainability, and the Sustainability Committee including the Sustainability Steering Committee and four working groups: Recycling and Waste Management, Energy Conservation, Sustainable Building and Facility Operations, and Communications and Outreach.”
- Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston (SBN-Boston) " …engages business and community leaders inbuilding economies that are green, local, and fair.”
- Sustainable Cities Institute, National League of Cities: Boston Type “Boston” in search box for reports, etc.
Transportation & Planning
- Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organizatio (MPO) , “… responsible for conducting the federally required metropolitan transportation-planning process for the Boston metropolitan area. The MPO uses this process to develop a vision for the region and then decides how to allocate federal and some state transportation funds to programs and projects that support that vision.
- John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) .“… To Improve The Nation’s Transportation Systems.” Cambridge, MA.
- MetroFuture: Making a Great Boston Region “… builds on the region’s unique development patterns, with a balanced mix of urban communities, built-up suburbs, and low-density towns. Population and job growth will be concentrated in developed areas already served by infrastructure, with slower growth in less developed areas where infrastructure is more limited.” An initiative of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
- University of Massachusetts Transportation Center. The University of Massachusetts Transportation Center is responsible for promoting transportation research, education, and training throughout the Commonwealth.
- Visualizing MBTA Data: An interactive exploration of Boston’s subway system Data collected February 2014. This project was created by Michael Barry and Brian Card for a graduate course in Data Visualization at WPI taught by Matthew Ward.
- WTS - Greater Boston Women's Transportation Group Founded in 1977, WTS is an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women.
Big Dig
Selected Book Chapters
“Boston’s City Hall: end or eve of an era?” in Selected Writings on Architecture, Preservation, and the Built Environment by Location: Mugar Memorial Library Stacks (NA27 .F58 2006 )pp. 48-54
“Macallen Building, Boston, Massachusetts,” in Green Architecture Now! by Location: Mugar Memorial Library Stacks (NA2542.36 .J63 2009 )
“Indicators and standards at Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area,” Part III of Parks and Carrying Capacity by Location: Science & Engineering Library Stacks (SB486.P83 M36 2007 )
“557/559,” in Integrated Design in Contemporary Architecture by Location: Online; in print: Mugar Memorial Library Folio (NA2542.36 .M64 2008 )Chapter on 557/559 East Second Street, South Boston, p.52ff.
Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit [Boston] by
What are the best transit cities in the US? The best Bus Rapid Transit lines? The most useless rail transit lines? The missed opportunities? In the US, the 25 largest metropolitan areas and many smaller cities have fixed guideway transit--rail or bus rapid transit. Nearly all of them are talking about expanding. Yet discussions about transit are still remarkably unsophisticated. To build good transit, the discussion needs to focus on what matters--quality of service (not the technology that delivers it), all kinds of transit riders, the role of buildings, streets and sidewalks, and, above all, getting transit in the right places. Christof Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone--regardless of training or experience--can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun and accessible Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 47 metropolitan areas in the US that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. The best and worst systems are ranked and Spieler offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history complicate transit planning. He shows how the unique circumstances of every city have resulted in very different transit systems. Using appealing visuals, Trains, Buses, People is intended for non-experts--it will help any citizen, professional, or policymaker with a vested interest evaluate a transit proposal and understand what makes transit effective. While the book is built on data, it has a strong point of view. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong. He explains broad concepts, but recognizes all of the technical, geographical, and political difficulties of building transit in the real world. In the end,Trains, Buses, People shows that it is possible with the right tools to build good transit.
Publication Date: 2018 - online
