Boston’s Olympic bid – like many powerful ideas – carries the prospect of great reward and the risk of great failure. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, and Transportation for Massachusetts released a joint report that proposes a framework for protecting the public interest during and after the bid. We believe that our proposal represents a major step toward creating a more transparent and coordinated process that will benefit the region and the state.
One of the key recommendations is for Massachusetts to establish an Olympics Planning Commission to oversee and coordinate the public planning process. Additionally, we propose a series of specific actions to ensure that the Games-whether or not Boston actually hosts them-will have a positive legacy on the region’s housing, transportation, and environment. The unifying message is that all parties must put legacy first.