Cities everywhere are reinventing themselves in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boston, long an urban innovator, must contend with a widening racial wealth gap, the effects of remote work, growing urgency around the impacts of climate change, housing affordability, and mobility as it prepares to celebrate its quadricentennial in 2030.

The collection of original essays in Idea City addresses Boston’s twenty-first century challenges, considers avenues for improvement, and helps readers think differently about their own areas of expertise and urban regeneration work in other fields.

Director Matthew Kiefer contributes a chapter on zoning reform. He proposes to replace Boston's dysfunctional century-old zoning paradigm with development impact review to reduce land use friction and more equitably spread the benefits of growth.

Learn more about Idea City here.

Listen to Matthew on WBUR's Radio Boston program for more insights on Idea City.

Read Matthew's interview “Beyond Zoning: A New Approach for Today’s Cities” with the Harvard GSD.