Amy Dain

Public policy research consultant, Dain Research, Newton

Stories by Amy Dain

Moving on from car-as-king development

We could build great places again if we can get the parking right

Building connectedness with star power

Too much of what's built on the municipal periphery lacks connections

opinion

Mystic + Malden: A development case study

Promising area doesn’t have to be an archipelago

opinion

Where should new housing go?

Reforms needed to build in residential districts

opinion

Zoning – the good and the bad

Sometimes exclusion is unintended; other times it’s not

opinion

Guess what’s anchoring many small downtowns?

Even in the age of online shopping, the answer is: bookstores

Malls reinventing themselves as ‘lifestyle centers’

Mixing some housing, city amenities with shops, restaurants

Stop poking the Bear

The West should try some empathy with Russia

opinion

Should we smoot the subways?

Can our geeky side make waiting on the T more pleasant?

opinion

Are dashboards the right tool to measure progress?

What sounds good and exciting isn’t always useful

opinion

Municipalities shouldn’t go it alone on IT

Potholes abound for DPWs; coordination could help

opinion

In Newtonville, smart growth is taking hold

Stability is great, but sometimes change is good

opinion

Boston Public Market: Looks great, makes sense

Locally produced food sold in a smart way

opinion

Brutalist buildings need some TLC

Despite drama, humor, they no longer work

opinion

The state should encourage accessory apartments

Could be a partial answer to housing shortage

opinion

Riley’s turnaround effort bigger than schools

Lawrence groups and city in general pitch in to revamp education system

opinion