Heres what to know. Assist in the research and development of guidance for best practices in specific topic areas targeted at improving mobility and the public realm. Michael OShea is the Chief Information Officer of the Boston Planning & Development Agency where his emphasis is on delivering improved business outcomes from the agencys IT investments. Every councilor is very aware of how the substantial majority of Bostons overall revenue comes from property taxes, Arroyo said. Jemison later returned to the region, taking on several public- and private-sector development roles, including posts at the Massachusetts Port Authority and the states Department of Housing and Community Development. Our vision is for Boston to sustainably reach our peak population of 800,000 residents with the housing and schools, parks and public transit to support that growth., Wu also said next week, her administration will file a home-rule petition to formally end the decades-old urban renewal mission of eradicating so-called blight and urban decay.'. Creating digital and printed maps of Boston for the agency and the community. Track status of Article 80 large projects including stage of review, key deadlines and transportation staff assigned, and assist the team in workflow management. Learn More Compliance She graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in Sociology and Urban Studies. Few have been replaced, though last week the Wu administration announced Diana Fernandez Bibeau, a senior associate landscape architect at Watertown-based design firm Sasaki, as its deputy chief of urban design. Long before she took office as the mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu put forth a plan to abolish the citys Planning and Development Agency a move necessary, she said, to bring accountability and transparency to the vital department and correct deep disparities spurred by decades of an outdated development approval process. Establishing a coordinated Citywide vision for Bostons future. Lisa Herrington is the General Counsel of the BPDA, where she is responsible for the BPDA's legal strategy and representing the BPDA in all aspects of its work. display: none; In 2014, a withering audit ordered by Walsh found the agency had no idea how much money it was owed and by whom nor even how much land it owned in the first place. Those were just some of the many questions posed by nearly every member of Bostons City Council to BPDA leadership Monday afternoon, in a committee hearing that was technically focused on one element of Wus broad plan to shake up the citys approach to real estate development but ended up sparking a multihour discussion about the efforts details or lack thereof. About Us Contact Us Careers News Calendar Translate Page Google Translate Translate Boston Planning & Development Agency BOSTON RESIDENCY IS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT AND MUST BE MET WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF START DATE** TITLE: Senior Architect GRADE: 10 STATUS: EXEMPT. Ability to exercise independent initiative as well as work well in a team environment. Prior to joining Fidelity, Teresa worked for Senator John Kerry on both his 1996 re-election campaign and the 2004 Presidential Campaign. BPDA leadership asked the council committee to approve the act with a vote on Wednesday, but that request drew quick pushback from councilors who wanted more specific, Making changes to the BPDA in a way thats sufficiently thought out and planned out is crucial, District 5 Councilor Ricardo, Councilors have spoken with lawmakers in cities including Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York and found that re-crafting the processes behind real estate development tend to draw fire from all sides, Arroyo said. display: none; Mayor Michelle Wu this week outlined her plans to overhaul the Boston Planning & Development Agency, the quasi-governmental authority that has long wielded immense power over the look and feel of Boston from its offices on the top floor of City Hall. A Masters Degree and/or prior transportation planning internship experience is highly desirable. We all know that theres a lot happening with this.. The departures come as the BPDA has been bleeding staff, with 101 departures since 2020, including former director Brian Golden this spring. A number of development staffers who shepherd projects through community review have also departed. Michelle Wu wants to abolish the BPDA. 2023 Boston Planning & Development Agency, Article 37 Green Building and Climate Resiliency Guidelines, Article 25A Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay District, COVID-19 related guidance for institutions, BPDA Real Estate Decarbonization Strategy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requirements for Public Land Dispositions, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Article 80, Article 80 Design Review Broadband Ready Buildings Questionnaire, Inclusionary Development Policy: Annual Reports, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Mayor Wu appoints new Boston Civic Design Commission leadership and commissioners, BPDA approves new affordable housing in Mattapan, Allston, Dorchester, and Roxbury, Chief Jemison welcomes new Director of Planning Aimee Chambers, Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee Meeting, Boston Civic Design Commission Monthly Meeting. Floor 9. Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Boston Planning & Development Agency by 2x. Boston Planning & Development Agency But here are some key takeaways from what we know now. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Michael lives in Dorchester, where he was born and raised, with his wife Kristin and son Michael Jr. Rebecca Hansen is the Director of Real Estate at the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA). Another goal of Chambers's planning work is to make the development process more predictable for community members and developers. }Customer Service. Originally from Brazil, he recently served as Senior Vice President and Director of Research of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a non-profit organization founded by Harvard Professor Michael Porter. }Customer Service. The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff with diverse experiences while continuing to work to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive work environment, where cultural diversity is celebrated and valued. Michael has been with the Agency since 2013 and has served in several roles, including Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison, where he focused on the BPDAs priorities on issues under consideration by the City Council, State Legislature, Governor's office, and Executive agencies. After losing a large number of staffers during COVID and the extended mayoral transition between Walsh and Wu, the BPDA and sister agency the Economic Development Industrial Corp. now employ 202 people. You almost have to create a plan that nobody likes to create a fair process.. At Mondays hearing, BPDA leadership including director Arthur Jemison, deputy chief Devin Quirk, and newly appointed general counsel Lisa E. Herrington discussed changing the BPDAs original 1957 state charter from one that allows real estate development in areas which are considered to be decadent, substandard or blighted open space to one that, in Wus words, must reflect the possibilities for our brightest future from affordable housing and racial equity, to climate resilience and healthy, connected communities.. Wus plan would eventually move the BPDAs budget $75.2 million in fiscal 2020 under the mayor and chief financial officer and approved by the City Council, like most other city departments. Review Article 80 project filings (Project Notification Forms, Draft Project Impact Reports, and similar documents) to identify and summarize transportation issues and possible improvements. The Boston Planning & Development Agency Board welcomes the public to participate in the BPDA Board Meeting. Completion of a Bachelors Degree in transportation, urban planning, engineering, or other closely related field. Communications Sharing and promoting agency work through the press, marketing, and social media. The Boston Planning and Development . Wus office deferred comment to the BPDA. Since then Michelle has championed reforms and tilted policy with data-rich reporting practicing. Before joining the agency, Lisa was a lawyer in private practice for more than fifteen years, including practicing in a Boston-based law firm's Finance and Restructuring group and serving as Deputy Counsel at The Community Builders. In partnership with communities, the BPDA plans Bostons future while respecting its past. Your job seeking activity is only visible to you. In partnership with Chief Jemison and the BPDAs Urban Design Department, Fernandez will work to strategically transform existing BPDA urban design processes to promote predictability and quality for both the community members and the development industry. Wu intends for revenue from the BPDA to be used for Planning on the City side, a city spokesperson said. If were changing the entire way we do business, I think we should know all the details, said District 3 Councilor Frank Baker. She has also worked at the MA Attorney General's Office. #ada-button-frame { is taking the lead on New England's climate-change-related emergency management, How Gov. Supporting the agency with financial oversight, human resources, information technology, and administrative work. As part of her work, Fernandez will partner on the Mayor's Green New Deal agenda with the City departments, including the Boston Transportation Department, the Environment Department, Parks, Office of Housing, Public Works, Public Facilities, Boston Public Schools, and Boston Public Libraries, to align urban design efforts into a comprehensive vision for Boston. Assist team members in reviewing transportation policies and transportation infrastructure improvement projects. He is a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the Harvard Business Schools General Management Executive Program. Prior to her time at the BPDA, Rebecca was a transportation engineer in Boston working on traffic analysis and roadway design projects for the public and private sectors. Michael has more than 15 years experience in the IT field and received his BS and High-Tech MBA at Northeastern University. As goes development, goes the city of Boston, frankly, Arroyo said. Hellen started the Allen Agency Insurance in 2009 and for many years she has been helping Connecticut and New York residents with their insurance needs. What's an RFP? Sharing and promoting agency work through the press, marketing, and social media. The Directors staff works closely with all of the agencys departments and serves as the Directors liaison to other city departments, elected officials, the community, developers, businesses, and all other stakeholders. One of the first steps in that proposed change is formally sunsetting urban renewal, a tool most notoriously used in the mid 20th-century by the then-Boston Redevelopment Authority to wipe out and rebuild entire neighborhoods of the city, but which recently has been a key surgical instrument to preserve affordable housing. The BPDA is Boston's planning and economic development agency. In the 1990s, he worked for the agency he now helms then the Boston Redevelopment Authority before heading to Washington, D.C., to work in that citys planning department under Mayor Anthony Williams. How will the agencys planners define their new priorities of resilience, affordability and equity? And what does this all mean for the livelihoods of the hundreds of, Those were just some of the many questions posed by nearly every member of Bostons City Council to BPDA leadership Monday afternoon, in a committee hearing that was technically focused on one element of Wus. Developers and community members are certainly familiar with the BPDAs, office vacancy at its highest rate in decades. The Wu administration does not expect to launch a new city planning department staffed with current Boston Planning and Development Agency employees until at least next year . 2023 Boston Planning & Development Agency, Article 37 Green Building and Climate Resiliency Guidelines, Article 25A Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay District, COVID-19 related guidance for institutions, BPDA Real Estate Decarbonization Strategy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requirements for Public Land Dispositions, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Article 80, Article 80 Design Review Broadband Ready Buildings Questionnaire, Inclusionary Development Policy: Annual Reports, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The council is scheduled to discuss Wus proposed rent control plan at a hearing Thursday. So far, Jemison, who officially joined the team on City Halls ninth floor May 23, has been getting up to speed on Mayor Michelle Wus plans for the future of development in the city plans that once included abolishing the department Jemison was tapped to run. Development projects are subject to comment periods and public processes. The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff with diverse experiences while continuing to work to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive work environment, where cultural diversity is celebrated and valued. Her masters degree in Community Planning is from the University of Maryland-College Park. Mayor Michelle Wu prepared to address the Boston City Council, chaired by council president, Ed Flynn, last year. The city failed to plan for community stability, affordability, transit, and sustainability all issues that have shaped Bostons soaring housing costs, climate woes, aging and crumbling infrastructure, and infamous traffic, she said. Through the prioritization of these objectives and strategies, this office ensures that businesses and developers continue to invest in the City of Boston, which results in more jobs and housing for the citizens of Boston. I just dont think were ready for a vote on Wednesday.. In a departure e-mail from Campisano, obtained by the Globe, she said her proudest achievement was the transformational work the agency has undergone since Walsh tapped Golden to be director in 2014 that resulted in a more inclusive, transparent and efficient agency., In Shurtleffs tenure, she guided projects including the revitalized Christian Science Plaza and Winthrop Center, and her departure e-mail acknowledged how the planning and development work the BPDA does is at the center of many of the citys biggest challenges: climate change, housing, mobility, and building a more connected and inclusive city.. Wu was, Wu famously campaigned on abolishing the powerful agency, issuing. BPDA leadership asked the council committee to approve the act with a vote on Wednesday, but that request drew quick pushback from councilors who wanted more specific information about the proposed changes. What she instead proposed is creating a separate city planning and design department functions that are currently run out of BPDA and restore planning as a central function of City government. And she would make the agency more directly accountable to the City Council, not just the Mayor, The plan comes as Bostons real estate industry is bracing for a downturn, with, And it was pretty hard to begin with. (617) 722-4300. bostonplans.org. A shift away from a legal definition of blight makes sense in todays Boston, which is anything but blighted, said District 8 Councilor Kenzie Bok. Other top BPDA officials who have departed since Walsh left office include Golden, the agencys director of development review Jon Greeley, and its general counsel. The current staffers that manage Article 80 will be part of the new department, the city said. A whopping 74 percent of Bostons revenue is budgeted to come from property taxes in fiscal 2023; comparatively, general property taxes comprised around 30 percent of New York Citys revenues in the same time period. Collaborate with BPDA and City of Boston staff on drafting, reviewing, and implementing local, state, and federal resilience funding opportunities and . And city government lacks the authority to outright raze the agency. Jemison is also a 2021 Spirit of Detroit Award winner, a 2016 Michigan Chronicle Men / Women of Excellence awardee, and a member of the team recognized with the 2013 Robert Larson Public Policy Award for Workforce Housing from the Urban Land Institute, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston Planning & Development Agency **BOSTON RESIDENCY IS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF START DATE** TITLE: HELP DESK SUPPORT SPECIALIST . His hope is that his dual-title will make for a city where planning and execution, looks like its more seamless, he said. Campisano started her career at the then-BRA as an intern in 1999 and was named chief of staff in 2014. Coordinate and prepare for public meetings, including, but not limited to, drafting/finalizing PowerPoint presentations, handouts, meeting notices and other materials, setup and assistance with virtual meetings, posting website updates, drafting and finalizing materials for community meetings, assisting senior staff in developing and implementing public engagement strategies and coordinating logistics for meetings. Leading diversity and inclusion management within the BPDA. Follow us on Twitter@globehomes. Shortly after he took office nine years ago, Much like mayoral candidates before her, Wu initially called for abolishing the BPDA . Michelle Wu says shed begin work right away to abolish the BPDA. Follow her on Twitter @bycathcarlock. They work with other City departments and organizations on a wide range of planning and development initiatives. Over the last decade, Boston saw the largest building boom in generations: cranes in the sky and jobs on the ground, she added. Boston, MA Type Government Agency Founded 1957 Specialties Urban Planning, Economic Development, Research, GIS, Zoning, Architecture, Urban Design, and Community Development Locations. Before going to Detroit, Jemison served as Deputy Undersecretary and Deputy Director for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under Governor Deval Patrick. The staffing challenges have greatly slowed the pace of development approvals, which has frustrated many real estate executives in Boston. Prior to joining the City of Boston, Jemison served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Boston Globe tech reporters tell the story of the region's technology and innovation industry, highlighting key players, trends, and why they matter. Working with the community to plan for Boston's future. We dont have the current staff to drive the agenda the way we need to, and we dont have the staff we need to fully implement and help you implement and manage the development pipeline.. #ada-button-frame { Experience in Adobe Creative Suite, Powerpoint or similar software to design and assemble presentations, reports and graphical representations. Devin has also previously served as Director of Operations for Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), now known as the Mayor's Office of Housing where he oversaw day-to-day management of the 150 person staff and the implementation of the City's affordable housing strategies. Abolishing it isnt sort of an end in and of itself, Jemison said. Assist in drafting feedback and comment letters on Article 80 project filings for review by senior staff. As Deputy Chief of Urban Design, Diana Fernandez Bibeau will elevate the importance of urban design, and champion the transformative power of sustainable and walkable communities for all ages and abilities. Much like mayoral candidates before her, Wu initially called for abolishing the BPDA long a political punching bag issuing an ambitious and widely circulated white paper in 2019 as she geared up to run. Assist in conceptualizing site re-designs for transportation elements, including site design, cross-section designs, ROW usage, curbside management, pedestrian/public realm accommodations, bicycle facilities and transit components. The plan comes as Bostons real estate industry is bracing for a downturn, with office vacancy at its highest rate in decades and looming fears of a drop in property valuations and the real estate taxes that comprise 75 percent of the citys operating budget. Strengthening how Bostonians can participate in the often-exhausting process of debating real estate development is important but its also crucial to understand how a process that centers on affordability, resilience, and equity would function in practice, said Councilor at Large Ruthzee Louijeune. For now, the BPDA will continue to exist as an entity that holds the planning board powers for Boston as designated by state law. $36.01 - $67.44 Full-time, Part-time In this moment of need, we have an opportunity and an obligation to change how we plan for Bostons future, Wu said. As Director of Planning, Aimee Chambers will be responsible for implementing the Mayors vision for citywide land use planning strategies and action plans that shape equitable long-term growth. The Downtown & Neighborhood Planning Department works with Boston's communities to create long-term plans that help foster the development of attractive, safe, diverse, and economically thriving places to live, work, and play. It also will take months, perhaps years, to play out, with a host of both bureaucratic and policy ramifications. The BPDA plays a far-reaching role in shaping the City. At the start of his career, he was the recipient of the Boston Redevelopment Authority's award for excellence in 1986, and more recently he was the recipient of the 2010 Henry L. Shattuck public service award. Experience with data and database management. Help with logistics of internal/external working groups; scheduling meetings, drafting agendas, taking minutes. What exactly does that mean? Alvaro holds a Masters degree in Economics from the New School for Social Research. Learn more about the agency Contact 617-722-4300 send an email 1 City Hall Square 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 Office hours Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. icon-twitter Boston Planning & Development Agency BOSTON RESIDENCY IS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT AND MUST BE METSee this and similar jobs on LinkedIn. The often-controversial Boston Redevelopment Authority was created by the Boston City Council and the state Legislature in 1957, and its formal legal dissolution would require action by the state. Healey wants to spend the 'millionaires tax' money, City invites local organizations to volunteer in One Boston Day. . Complicating matters, the rapidly shifting economy and a post-pandemic real estate landscape has raised many questions about the future of urban development in cities such as Boston. He received his Masters degree in Environmental Design from MIT in 1984, after receiving a Bachelorof Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture in India. Their duties include helping staff diagnose and resolve technical issues over the phone, email, and in-person; installing hardware or software on . BPDA director Arthur Jemison, pictured here at an event last year. The development at 250 Centre will feature. Jemison, an Amherst-native and seasoned urban planner, recently picked up a new pair of New Balances and is ready to break them in on some of his old running routes, he said in an interview with Boston.com. The BPDA plans and guides inclusive growth in our citycreating opportunities for everyone to live, work and connect. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab). By clicking Agree & Join, you agree to the LinkedIn. }Customer Service. But there are many things a mayor can do to refocus its efforts, short of dissolving it entirely, and Wu and Jemison have pledged a renewed focus on neighborhood planning efforts. Learn how the BPDA Board guides planning and economic development in Boston. Shurtleff started as a planner at the then-BRA in 2007, and has served as director of planning since 2019. Devin has worked for the City of Boston since 2010. Lacey most recently served as Director of Strategic Communications at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.