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Downtown Boston
vibrant. historic. resilient.
We’re committed to engaging, informing, and empowering Downtown Boston neighborhood residents, students, workers, businesses, and stakeholders.
Formed in 2014, the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association is an independent organization with 1,200+ members, run exclusively by volunteer leaders from the neighborhood.
We foster a forum for discussion and debate on a wide range of topics related to quality of life and the ongoing development of the neighborhood, including public safety, transportation, planning and zoning, and economic development.
Downtown Boston Residents
12,368
and we’re welcoming more every day!
Renters Downtown
62.7%
of occupied units
Residential Housing Units
6,543
total as of 2022
PLAN: Downtown
The PLAN: Downtown planning process, the first major master planning effort for Downtown Boston since 1989, is intended to inform how the neighborhood is developed and shaped for decades to come. The PLAN: Downtown Advisory Group worked with the City of Boston to come up with a thoughtful master plan, which was adopted in December 2023. The City was then tasked with coming up with appropriate zoning and design guidelines to codify these plans. On January 15th, 2025, the City’s Planning Department introduced a dramatically different set of plans and zoning that calls for the development of towers that are up to 500 feet in height (instead of 155 feet) along the entirety of Washington Street and other parts of the neighborhood. The City is looking to push through these new plans without appropriate community and stakeholder engagement. The community deserves to have a say in the future of the neighborhood. Learn more and take action today.
The City held a public meeting on January 15th, 2025, to present its proposed zoning changes for Downtown Boston:
Full video of public meeting
Remarks: Tony Pangaro, formerly Millennium Partners (developer)
Remarks: Karen LaFrazia, CEO of St. Francis House, regarding affordable housing and public process
Remarks: Rishi Shukla, Co-Founder, Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association
Public safety remains a top priority for the Neighborhood Association
Learn what you can do to impact public safety in Downtown Boston. Take action today.