Economist Barry Bluestone has been crunching recent U.S. Census numbers and recently shared his thoughts on their implications for Newton.

At the state level, Bluestone said, the economic picture looks surprisingly good. Data indicate that more people are moving into Massachusetts than out, which may be attributed to the availability of jobs and a softening in housing prices. Unemployment in Massachusetts continues to fall faster in Massachusetts than in the rest of the country, and the state is doing better than it did after the recessions of 1990-91 and 2001.

Yet, there are some worrisome aspects in the forecast. Slow population growth is projected for Massachusetts through 2020, and the “over 55 crowd” is expected to be the fastest growing segment of our population.

“Losing young people is very bad,” Bluestone explained.

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Click to visit Historic Newton's site.

I visited the opening reception of Historic Newton’s city maps exhibit last week. Wow. On your next trip through Newtonville, swing by and take a look for yourself.

“Mapping a New Town: 1714-1874″ gives museum visitors a glimpse into how our city looked more than a century ago. One of the most striking scenes is an oil painting of pastoral fields and the railroad running along the Charles River — an area of the city known today for the village of Lower Falls, the Riverside MBTA station, Route 128, and a golf course.

If you like maps, don’t miss the museum’s collection of bird’s eye maps from the 1890s, which are displayed along the museum’s central staircase.

As reported in an earlier post, looking at the history of our land use and village center development is a good starting point for discussions about our city’s future. You may view many Newton maps in the city’s online Map Library.

A team of young planners is developing recommendations to guide the redevelopment of the Needham Street corridor.

On Thursday, October 28th, we will all have a chance to learn about their plans and help point them in the right direction.  Come join us in the Aldermanic Chambers in City Hall at 7 pm if you’re interested.

The team of MIT master’s level planning students will be led by Professor Terry Szold, who knows Newton well.  In previous years, she has developed plans for West Newton, Newton Centre, and Chestnut Hill.

helped initiate the conversation between the City and Professor Szold that led to this effort, and we strongly support this investment in planning our city.

We urge you to attend and contribute your ideas.

In local op-eds and talk shows this year, some Newton residents have voiced a desire for more single-floor housing options within walking distance of village centers, especially for empty-nesters whose housing needs have changed.

Others have raised their voices against additional density, citing concerns with school enrollments and existing traffic and parking conditions.

Meanwhile, city leaders are mulling over ideas about redeveloping city-owned land in Newton Center and Newtonville.

What’s most interesting about these conversations?
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UPDATE. Please note the earlier start time.

Mayor Setti Warren has created a task force, a group of more than 20 volunteers who are meeting over the summer to determine how the city should react to large real estate developments, especially three large parcels: Riverside Station, Chestnut Hill Square, and Needham/Oak Street.

The Mayor’s Mixed-Use Development Task Force is examining relationships between economic development, neighborhood and environmental impacts, and affects on housing, schools, and transportation. “Mixed-use” is a planning term that refers to the development of “housing, civic uses, and commercial uses, including retail, restaurants, and offices” in close proximity to take advantage of existing infrastructure and transportation networks. [Read more →]

You may have thought once or twice before, “Why do developers do our planning for us?  They tell us what they want, and we react.  Why don’t we have our own vision?”

Mayor Warren has convened a committee to create that vision–the Comprehensive Plan Mixed Use Task Force (MUTF). The group is led by the rightly esteemed Phil Herr, who led the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee that gave us our 2007 Plan.

[NOTE:  Two Newton Villagers (Andrea Kelley and John Pears) are serving on the MUTF.  As updates on the MUTF work are available, we will post them here.]

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