Celebrating Year 1 of the Community Adaptations to City Heat (CATCH) Project: Urban Heat Action and Policy Database, Policy Brief, and Cross-Jurisdictional Learning
October 22, 2026
In summer 2025, A Better City joined as a subcontractor on the three-year Community Adaptations to City Heat (CATCH) project, led by Dr. Patricia Fabián at the Boston University School of Public Health. The CATCH team is an interdisciplinary team, funded by the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust, to explore the intersection of extreme heat vulnerability and public health, and to find ways to connect equitable extreme heat research with policymaking. A Better City sits on the Policy Team of the CATCH project, which has been busy in Year 1 researching heat policies and interventions in Boston, New Orleans, and Phoenix.
Urban Heat Action and Policy Database: 1,400 Policies Across 18 U.S. Cities
In spring 2026, the CATCH Policy Team launched an Urban Heat Action and Policy Database, which leverages a heat vulnerability framework informed by frontline populations’ heat exposure (how much time they spend exposed to high heat conditions), heat sensitivity (how certain bodies are more sensitive to heat stress than others), and heat adaptive capacity (to what extent frontline communities are able to access heat-relieving resources). The Policy Team analyzed heat-relevant policies across climate, housing, sustainability, energy affordability, green infrastructure, shade, and other sectors that may indirectly impact heat frontline populations, or those hit “worst and first” by extreme heat. Heat-relevant policies may not always be labeled as extreme heat interventions, but often contain heat-relieving co-benefits, like energy subsidy policies that help frontline populations to afford air conditioning, for example. Initially created to feature policies across Boston, New Orleans, and Phoenix, as of October 2026, the CATCH Database was updated to include an additional 15 cities, totaling over 1,400 heat policies and actions . . .
A BETTER CITY CONVERSATION: FINANCING TOOLS FOR BUILDING DECARBONIZATION
October 20, 2026
On October 14, A Better City hosted a conversation on Financing Tools for Building Decarbonization. Wendy O’Malley, Senior VP for Green Finance at MassDevelopment discussed updates to the Commercial PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program from June 1 of this year, that include financing levels for new construction projects that align with building energy code requirements. Erin Camp, Program Director for Energy Sustainability & Analytics at PowerOptions, then discussed a new financing tool, Building Decarbonization as a Service, or BDaaS, launched in Fall 2025 for nonprofits and public entities. She explained the projects that can be included, funding options available, and how the program works from beginning to end. This in-depth discussion was recorded and the
A Better City’s Comments on the U.S. Army Corps Coastal Storm Resilience Management Feasibility Study
September 24, 2026
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a draft report of their Boston Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study, which is proposing up to 20 potential coastal flood management projects along 16 miles of Boston’s coastline. Flood management interventions could include seawalls and coastal flood barriers, levees, a storm surge barrier in the Fort Point Channel, and more. This once-in-a-generation mega-project would be implemented with the City of Boston serving as the Non-Federal Sponsor, in which the USACE would be responsible for 65% of funding for project construction via Congressional approval, and Boston, the state, and private sector responsible for the remaining 35% of project funding. This mega-project would help to protect Boston’s communities, critical infrastructure, and the regional and national economy from threats like hurricanes, coastal storms, and sea level rise.
In July 2026, A Better City hosted an event with the USACE, City of Boston USACE Study lead, Kate Roosa, and A Better City members to present the draft Study, and choices that the USACE can make between more comprehensive and more affordable flood barriers in Downtown, East Boston, and South Boston. The City of Boston submitted a comment letter on the draft Study in September, in which they support a more comprehensive Action Plan 2, with early intervention at Moakley Park as one of the first projects to implement. They requested the more comprehensive flood barrier alternatives in Downtown (DT3, including full protection around the North End waterfront rather than ending at Sargent’s Wharf), East Boston (EB2+EB3A, including flood barrier protection alongside the edge of Chelsea Creek rather than at the Route 1A median), and South Boston (SB3, including protection around the Ray Flynn Marine Terminal).
A . . .
Current and Future Three- Year Energy Efficiency Results and Planning
September 22, 2026
At a workshop on the 2028-2030 Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan for the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sector on August 27, 2026, the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) discussed four key areas: general C&I improvements; electrification; equity in the C&I sector, and multifamily and mixed-use buildings.
For C&I sector improvements, EEAC consultants reported that most C&I core initiatives are performing well in the current 2025-2027 term, including multiple enhancements, and expanded technical assistance, engineering support, and customer resources. A new offering in this plan is existing building commissioning (EBCx) which is still ramping up. Opportunities for continued improvement and refinement in the 2028-2030 plan include continuing to shift from lighting-driven savings to more complex and customized projects that require better data and analytics, more targeted education, and better coordination across services.
For electrification, EEAC consultants reported robust electrification activity in the 2025-2027 term, with prescriptive electrification exceeding expectations. Customers have also utilized technical assistance that can support decision making, decarbonization studies, and planning services. Opportunities for continued improvement and refinement in the 2028-2030 plan include technical assistance for electrification planning over multiple years, collecting data on market conditions to understand what is needed to further spur adoption of electrification, and using customer inputs on anticipated impacts of electrification to predict and communicate project costs and benefits more accurately.
For equity in the C&I sector, EEAC consultants reported that microbusiness participation has improved over time and now comprises over 90% of C&I accounts, experiencing the highest depth of savings. However, there is still limited understanding of participation by geography and outcomes for . . .
Recommendations for Regional Rail Stakeholder Engagement and Project Prioritization Amid Technical and Capital Constraints
September 18, 2026
This document was prepared by the author as part of a summer internship project. The views, findings, and opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of A Better City.
Earlier in August 2026, A Better City published parts one—"What is Regional Rail, and What is the MBTA Doing to Get There?"—and two—"Infrastructural Constraints Pose Challenges for the Commuter Rail Transformation"—of the blog post series entitled "A Primer on the Transformation of the MBTA Commuter Rail: Presented by A Better City 2026 Summer Transportation Interns." Part One introduced and defined the MBTA’s new vision for “Regional Rail,” and gave an update on the recent work in making critical steps to support the Regional Rail transformation. Part Two discussed some of the major infrastructural constraints that the MBTA faces in modernizing the Commuter Rail system. This third and final part in the series will focus on what’s next: Given the MBTA’s progress to-date and the existing technical constraints, what are some recommendations to help create a smooth and successful transformation of the Commuter Rail into a frequent, fast, reliable, and accessible Regional Rail system?
Recommendation #1: Analyze Riders’ Comprehension of the Impacts of Constraints on the . . .
Infrastructural Constraints Pose Challenges for the Commuter Rail Transformation
September 16, 2026
This document was prepared by the author as part of a summer internship project. The views, findings, and opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of A Better City.
On June 8, 2026, A Better City held a Roundtable Conversation with senior MBTA leadership to provide an update on its Rail Modernization planning initiative. In that conversation, they shared that the MBTA is planning to transform the Commuter Rail system from a traditional 9-5pm model—serving office workers commuting to Downtown Boston for work—to a Regional Rail model. The work that the MBTA has done so far includes ongoing planning efforts with the development of the Regional Rail Modernization Plan, current undertaking of pivotal capital investment projects, and prioritizing capital spending.
While the MBTA has made much progress towards improving service, transforming the system to the Regional Rail vision will require years of work. These elements include platform accessibility to support fast, high-capacity service, track infrastructure to support frequency and reliability, and power sources to accommodate electrified rail. These constraints will be key factors in prioritizing which Commuter Rail lines to improve first, and how to make key stakeholders aware of the prioritization decision process.
Level Platforms
The first element that is needed for a reliable Regional Rail system is accessible and level platforms. According to the MBTA June 2025 Regional Rail Industry Day Presentation, 65% of the 141 stations across the Commuter Rail network are currently only accessible by either mini high-level platforms (62) or inaccessible low-level platforms (30). Transitioning to . . .
What is Regional Rail, and What is the MBTA Doing to Get There?
September 14, 2026
This document was prepared by the author as part of a summer internship project. The views, findings, and opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of A Better City.
What is Regional Rail?
Regional Rail is the concept where the Commuter Rail system is able to provide fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible service throughout the day. Today, the MBTA does not run a regional rail system, as it is currently focused on running trains for peak-hour service and commuters with 9-to-5 jobs. They are hoping to accelerate work to turn this vision into reality for this area.
As the MBTA continues advancing toward this goal, it is important to understand how individual projects can contribute to this long-term vision and the MBTA’s plans to move forward. Initiatives such as the Regional Rail Modernization Planning Process and a suite of ongoing “No-Regrets” capital infrastructure improvements support the transformation of the Commuter Rail system.
The MBTA’s Rail Modernization Planning Process
The MBTA’s Rail Modernization Plan will build upon the 2019 Rail Vision study, which laid out the goals for transforming the Commuter Rail from a system dependent on peak hours towards a more frequent, reliable, all-day service. The MBTA hopes to release this new plan in 2027 that will identify required investments and long-term needs necessary over the next 10-15 years to achieve its frequency, reliability, accessibility, and decarbonization goals. On June 8, 2026, A Better City hosted a roundtable discussion with MBTA . . .
Alewife Brook, Upper Mystic, and Charles River Draft Updated CSO Control Plan
August 10, 2026
On April 30th, 2026, the Cities of Somerville and Cambridge, along with the MWRA, submitted their Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan (Draft Plan), designed to address the remaining CSOs in the Charles, Mystic, and Alewife waterways. This blog post provides some background on CSOs, what is in the Draft Plan, reactions to it, and potential next steps.
CSO Outfalls in the Draft Plan Area, their Impact, and Why they are a Public Health Risk
Most communities have separate sewer and stormwater systems: wastewater is taken to a waste treatment plant; stormwater is carried to a local waterbody. In combined sewer systems, stormwater and wastewater both flow through one pipe. During dry weather, wastewater flows to a treatment plant. However, during wet weather, particularly heavy storms, stormwater also enters the pipe. If runoff exceeds the capacity of the system, untreated stormwater and wastewater flow into nearby waterbodies. Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) prevent backflow into homes and other critical infrastructure, usually existing along waterbodies, serving as relief points for capacity overflows.
In the area covered by the Draft Plan, there are approximately 16 open CSO outfalls (see Table 1) on the Charles, Mystic, and Alewife waterways, zoned to either Cambridge, Somerville, or the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The outfalls within Boston are zoned to the MWRA. See Map 1 for locations. Although the zoning of these CSOs is the responsibility of Cambridge, Somerville, and the MWRA, the impacts from polluted water (see Map 1) affect the entire watershed area for each waterbody.
Table 1: Open CSO Outfalls Subject to the Draft Plan
Next Steps for Massachusetts Peaker Power Plants
August 07, 2026
In March 2024, the Healey-Driscoll Administration established the nation’s first Office of Energy Transformation (OET)[1], accelerating the energy transformation required for the Commonwealth to reach its 2050 climate targets. An Advisory Board (ETAB) and three working groups were established with clear workplans and timelines: Financing the Transition (FTT); Decarbonizing the Peak (DTP); and Everett Marine Terminal (EMT). A fourth was added later, Enabling Sustainable Economic Development. The DTP Working Group focused on decarbonizing how we meet peak electric demand by showing pathways to reducing reliance on and eliminating fossil fuels from peaking power plants and deploying alternative demand and supply options to meet peak load needs. Findings and recommendations from the DTP, FTT, and EMT Working Groups were presented at the ETAB meeting in June 2026. This blogpost summarizes some useful information about peaker plants including what they are and why they are used, why they are important to decarbonization, what fuels they use, where they are in Massachusetts, why the DTP was set up, the DTP preliminary recommendations, and next steps.
What are peaker plants, and why are they used?
Peaker power plants enable grid reliability by supplying energy at “peak” times – during periods of high electricity demand when the electric grid is stressed. Peaks vary depending on weather, time of year, and consumer behavior. Currently, peak demand in New England occurs during the summer when more electricity is used to cool buildings, but by 2050, peak demand is expected to shift to winter mornings and evenings with a longer duration and more demand than the current peak[2].
Peaker plants are more expensive to run and less efficient than other types of plants. They are designed to turn on and off quickly, . . .
Event Recap: Land Use and Development Advisory Committee August 4
August 06, 2026
The Land Use Advisory Committee met on August 4 for a presentation and discussion of the City of Boston Office to Residential Conversion Program and for a presentation by ABC staff and summer interns on development and transportation projects in Everett and Charlestown described in detail in the May 2026 edition of this report.
John Weil, who heads the Office to Residential Conversion program for the City of Boston, reported on activities since the program was launched in October 2023. At present, 28 projects are in the pipeline or have been completed, mostly in Downtown, but with some projects underway in the neighborhoods as well. The program aims to support several goals:
- Bring new life to vacant Class B and C office space
- Create much needed housing downtown
- Build a more vibrant urban core
- Improve sustainability and eco-friendly development
The incentives that help the program to work are a 29-year 75% residential tax abatement and as-of-right zoning for change of use, where applicable. Fast tracking the Article 80 review and permitting process saves time and money. The program aims to support student and workforce housing.
The 28 projects include 35 buildings, 1,853 units of housing, and about 3,500 new people living Downtown. Three hundred twenty-one units are expected to be delivered by the end of this year. This progress is supported by an expedited approval process that includes a preliminary Planning Department review, interagency joint review, and approvals and permitting to be accomplished in about six months rather than over 18 months in expedited approvals. The key elements of this process are identifying project issues up front, and designating one point person from each department. The program uses a weekly tracking system on the status of all projects.
Discussion after the presentation spotlighted the potential of this model for expediting the entire . . .
