Sign in

Katherine Levine Einstein

@katherineeinst.bsky.social
676 followers 338 following 14 posts

Political scientist at Boston University. Local politics; public policy; housing

PostsRepliesMedia
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Raising concerns about potential new schoolchildren, in contrast, may be less socially acceptable, especially in liberal MA communities.
030
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
I think people at these meetings are also strategic and choose objections that they think are most likely to persuade decision-makers. Complaints about traffic lead to traffic studies. Concerns about flooding/environment may trigger environmental studies/regs.
130
Reposted by Katherine Levine Einstein
Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem @burhanazeem.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
I can’t believe it - after years of advocacy, exclusionary zoning has ended in Cambridge. We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style Here’s the details 🧵
662440482
Reposted by Katherine Levine Einstein
Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Are Democratic leaders making cities more dangerous than Republicans? Trump + others have repeatedly made claims like this. New paper in Science Advances w/ @chriswarshaw.bsky.social, Dan Jones & Matt Harvey shows that, in short, the answer is no.
Abstract of article titled "The partisanship of mayors has no detectable effect on police spending, police employment, crime, or arrests"
23752224
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
No MA upzoning-specific studies that I'm aware of, but lots of national evidence that transit-oriented development helps reduce traffic! Lexington might provide a nice empirical test once these 1,000+ units are built: www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/03/b...
bostonglobe.com
In Lexington, the state’s housing law is on track to produce nearly 1,000 new homes - The Boston Globe
The suburb is perhaps an early sign that, at least in some communities, the law to make it easier to build apartments and condos is working as intended.
120
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
As with the Northborough property, communities sometimes make these exclusionary purchases using state resources through the Community Preservation Act. We highlight this example (and others) of the weaponization of public land (and waste of public $$) in our report: www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/...
tbf.org
110
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
This story underscores just how much communities are willing to spend to avoid building more housing. @maxwellpalmer.com and I find that communities buy land, sometimes to block affordable housing, with no plan or capacity to maintain/redevelop the property. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...
bostonglobe.com
After eight years, Northborough has no purpose for historic White Cliffs estate - The Boston Globe
Northborough has poured millions into the White Cliffs estate. It still is unused.
1187
Reposted by Katherine Levine Einstein
Initiative on Cities @buoncities.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
🏘️🏙️🗳️We're excited to welcome @jerusalem.bsky.social of @theatlantic.bsky.social to @bostonu.bsky.social for a discussion of her new book, "On the Housing Crisis," moderated by @katherineeinst.bsky.social. ⏰ December 9, 4 PM – 5:30 PM ET 📍 1 Silber Way, Room 916, Boston, MA 02215 🔗 bu.edu/ioc/2…
173
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Cool to see early signs of MBTA Communities' positive impact in Lexington. Effects of the law will likely be highly variable, though given paper compliance in some communities. www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/03/b...
bostonglobe.com
In Lexington, the state’s housing law is on track to produce nearly 1,000 new homes - The Boston Globe
The suburb is perhaps an early sign that, at least in some communities, the law to make it easier to build apartments and condos is working as intended.
071
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
We just coded whether the towns used CPA funding or not to purchase land that blocked housing development (almost always a Chapter 40B). We didn't look into whether they were using the 10% that is supposed to be earmarked for housing (though I would guess not).
100
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
That's so kind, thank you!
020
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
What's especially wild is that the state recognized that lawsuits were a big problem for housing in the 2024 Affordable Homes Act, and made abutter appeals reform part of the law. But, the state is pursuing the exact opposite approach with its climate "permitting reform" and subsidizing lawsuits.
020
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Link to our peer-reviewed book on this topic here: www.cambridge.org/core/books/n.... We're also doing follow-up research exploring how local permitting processes and administrative burdens hinder clean energy implementation.
cambridge.org
Neighborhood Defenders
Cambridge Core - American Government, Politics and Policy - Neighborhood Defenders
2111
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Not sure how anyone could see @maxwellpalmer.bsky.social @davidmglick.bsky.social and my research on public meetings in MA and think that more community input will produce better development outcomes. www.housingpolitics.com/research/nei...
housingpolitics.com
34910
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Thank you! Our policy report is here: www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/.... We include some suggestions on the CPA, among other policy areas. We're also working on an academic paper based on these data, but that process is slower.
tbf.org
230
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
These are the 13 instances we were able to identify in the report. If you know of any others, let us know!
250
Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Excited to see @maxwellpalmer.bsky.social and my research in this @bostonglobe.com op-ed this morning. The use of public money to actively block much-needed affordable housing is appalling, and shows the strength of opposition to new housing in Greater Boston. www.bostonglobe.com/2024/11/25/o...
bostonglobe.com
Using tax dollars to block new housing is bad policy - The Boston Globe
More than a dozen communities have been accused of ‘weaponizing’ the sale of public land to stop housing development.
24316