Boston Zoning Commission Approves Plan to Allow More Skyscrapers

The Boston Zoning Commission approved a major overhaul of the city's skyline policies on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The Zoning Commission voted 10-0 in favor of PLAN: Downtown, which will permit skyline districts allowing for 500- to 700-foot skyscrapers in parts of the historic downtown.

“I think tall buildings and green space can coexist as long as the maintenance is actually appropriate for this,” Commissioner Ricardo Austrich said in a statement shared with the Boston Herald. “In terms of the transit-oriented development and for the needs of our housing, I think this goes a long way in trying to resolve that, and I'm a real advocate of this.”

The Boston Herald noted that the vote was not technically unanimous. The Commission's chair, Michael Nichols, recused himself due to his involvement with the Downtown Boston Alliance, which supported the plan.

Supporters of PLAN: Downtown emphasize that it will promote housing, business investment, and downtown revitalization.

Opponents, mainly from the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, argue that the plan threatens the city's character, increases shadows on Boston Common, and favors luxury housing over affordable options, especially in historic neighborhoods. Critics have also cited violations of the state's shadow law, enacted in 1990, which restricts the creation of new shadows on the Boston Common and Public Garden at specific times of day.

In response to these criticisms, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and City Planning Chief Kairos Shen wrote in a joint letter ahead of last month's Boston Planning and Development Agency Board (BPDA) vote that the limited areas in which the new zoning measures would allow for heights of 700 feet already have existing buildings of greater than 500 feet.

Wu and Shen also noted that areas that can reach 700 feet are not near the Boston Common or the Public Garden and will not impact them.

“This updated zoning brings predictability and historic protections to the downtown core, encouraging new housing and investment to continue revitalizing Downtown,” Wu said in a statement shared with the Boston Herald on Wednesday, Oct. 22.