BEUDO Phase 3 Regulations Update
April 22, 2026

BEUDO's Phase 3 Regulations have been finalized and the BEUDO Procedures have been revised. Phase 3 Regulations cover Campus Compliance, Residential Property definitions, Review Board procedures, and two main options for those who may need more time: Hardship Compliance Plans and Deferral Plans. Hardship Compliance and Deferral Plan applications opened Friday, April 17. Details on how to apply for these can be found here.  

Hardship Compliance Plan and Deferral Plan Applications will be reviewed by a newly formed BEUDO Review Board, whose nine members were chosen to represent a diversity of stakeholders and viewpoints. Their first meeting was held on April 15.

 

For any questions, please contact Yve . . .

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BERDO Updates 04.21.2026
April 22, 2026

Proposed BERDO Regulatory Update on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

The Air Pollution Control Commission has opened a public comment period on proposed updates to BERDO Regulations related to MA Class I Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The proposed updates (slides 8-14) would allow building owners to use MA Class I RECs generated six months after an emissions compliance year to ensure that MA Class I RECs continue to be a viable compliance option for all building owners that wish to mitigate emissions retroactively during the annual BERDO reporting period.

Comments are due at noon on May 8. Please reach out to Yve Torrie with any comments by EOD May May 5 for inclusion in A Better City’s . . .

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Panel Series Recap: Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience Fall 2025-Spring 2026
April 21, 2026

From September 2025 through April 2026, A Better City convened a series of five in-person panel events in the Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience, a series of five in-person panel events to highlight the climate leadership of A Better City member companies and institutions. Over the past four years, A Better City members have focused on helping to shape new and updated climate policies that relate to large buildings. The panel series moved from policy to implementation by showcasing how climate leaders are both decarbonizing and fortifying their building stock, uplifting innovative and replicable strategies, and identifying challenges to implementation and scalability. The first panel focused on decarbonization in existing buildings, the second on decarbonization in new construction, the third on new technologies and opportunities, the fourth on deconstruction and embodied carbon, and the fifth on lessons in building resilience. For each panel, the speakers, slides, and a panel summary is provided below.

Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization in Existing Buildings September 24, 2025 (slides)

 

  • Torey Brooks, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Pembroke—Relaxing temperature settings in a back-of-house pilot
  • Saagar Patel, Senior Director of Decarbonization, Equity Residential—New window technology pilot
  • Al Scaramelli, Managing Director, Beacon Capital Partners—Building equipment optimization pilot
  • Neetu Siddarth, Sustainability Director, Energy & Utilities, BXP—Waste . . .

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Event Recap: Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Resilience
April 08, 2026

On Wednesday, April 8, A Better City hosted a fifth and final panel in the "Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience" series, a showcase of the climate leadership of A Better City member companies and institutions. Although the previous four panels have focused on different aspects of building decarbonization, this panel event focused on building resilience: how building and asset owners and developers are responding to current and future climate challenges. All panelists were asked to include the work underway to mitigate sea level rise and storm surge, increased precipitation and stormwater, extreme heat, and wind.

The panelists were:

  • Andy Dankwerth, Senior Vice President of Design & Development, Pembroke who led us through the work underway at Commonwealth Pier – an historic pier and building, a lot of which overhangs into the water. He discussed what is being done to fortify both the pier and building. The project is nearing
  • David Burson, Senior Project Manager, Mass General Brigham walked us through the resilience strategy of the healthcare system including case studies of work that has already been done, challenges ahead particularly on the MGH campus, and some new construction on that campus aimed in part to help mitigate some of these climate challenges.
  • Doug Manz, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, The HYM Investment Group then discussed the phased approach HYM is taking to the development of Suffolk Downs, the old racetrack that spans both Boston and Revere. He discussed this approach to their land use plan, their resiliency plan, and what the full mitigation build will look like when completed.
  • Andrew Wang, Vice President, Design, Related Beal then discussed the proposed mix use development known as Channelside on the Fort Point Channel. He walked us through what is on site today and . . .

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Testimony: MBTA March Board Meeting
March 27, 2026

On March 26, Amir Wilson testified at the MBTA Board Meeting to affirm support for the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, to highlight the importance of the MBTA Capital Improvement Plan process, and to flag clarifying questions regarding World Cup preparation. See the full testimony below:

 

Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, on behalf of A Better City

Chair McGee, Members of the Board, Secretary & General Manager Eng, thank you for the opportunity to deliver comments today.

My name is Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, delivering testimony on behalf of A Better City. As you may know, A Better City represents a multi-sector group of more than 130 business leaders focused on advancing its vision to create a more vibrant, competitive, sustainable, and equitable city and region for all.

Today, I have a few comments to make. First, to express A Better City’s support for the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project. The replacement of the bridge and signal infrastructure is essential to . . .

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PowerCorps Building Operations Cohort #4 Graduation
March 26, 2026

2026 PowerCorpsBOS graduates and staff

On March 25, a graduation ceremony was held at Roxbury Community College to celebrate 38 graduates from the 2025-2026 PowerCorpsBOS programs, supported by Mayor Wu, graduates family and friends, PowerCorps staff, and partners. This is the largest number of graduates since the program’s inception and the biggest number of women! Of the 38 graduates, 16 graduated from the Building Operations program that A Better City supports. Thank you to BXP, Equity Residential, Related Beal and Trinity Management for partnering with the program to offer internship to hire opportunities from October 2025-March 2026.

All building operations trainees accomplished the following certificates: OSHA 10 Construction Safety & Health Certification, 608 EPA Universal Certificate, BPI-Building Science Principles, BOC-Fundamentals in Energy Efficient Building Operations (FEEBO), UGC-Green Professional Building Skills GPRO, Massachusetts ‘Hot Works’ Certificate, and Ready to Work Certificate for HVAC. In addition, they had hands-on training in basic HVAC&R, control systems, and Building Automation Systems/Building Energy Systems from The Peterson School.

A joyous celebration was had by all – CONGRATULATIONS to the new graduates!

PowerCorpsBOS Building Operations Staff and A Better City Partner

For any questions, please contact Yve Torrie.

 

 

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Event Recap: The Future of Festival Marketplaces: An Evening of Connection & Conversation
March 24, 2026

On Monday March 23, A Better City hosted an evening of connection and conversation with Mayor Michelle Wu and City of Boston leadership, international experts, and local stakeholders to help reimagine the future of the Faneuil Hall Marketplace district. 

Attendees gathered under the historic Quincy Market Rotunda, once covered by a false ceiling, to connect and to enjoy an array of delicious local food from America's first food hall. The speaking program included remarks from Mayor Michelle Wu and Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, followed by a rich panel discussion facilitated by Kate Dineen that showcased the expansive expertise of Planning Chief Kairos Shen and three of the City’s advisors: Maurice Cox, Francine Houben, and James Lima. You can check out event photos here. 

We'd especially like to thank our wonderful hosts at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Jenny Harding and Jessy Haggard, and to Quincy Markets incredible vendors Bakey Babka, Boston Chowda Co, DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go, and Mona Sweets, for helping us create such a special evening.

We look forward to continuing this important conversation for the future of our downtown, our city, and our . . .

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Policy Update: MBTA Locomotive Procurement and Rail Modernization Plan Updates
March 12, 2026

At the monthly convening of the MBTA Board of Directors on February 26, 2026, MBTA leadership presented key updates on a recent Request for Proposals (RFP) for Regional Rail locomotives issued on February 25, 2026, and shared their intentions to engage local stakeholders for input on the development of a new Rail Modernization Plan to be released in the Summer of 2026. Here’s what to know and how to get involved!

 

Locomotive Procurement Details & What This Means for Service

The MBTA’s February 25 RFP (see slide #7) requests ten (10) battery-electric locomotives, ten (10) “tier-4” diesel locomotives (the most stringent EPA emission standard for diesels), and a contract option to purchase up to 50 additional battery-electric or tier-4 diesel locomotives to be used on the Commuter Rail system. For context, roughly half of its existing fleet, or more than 50 locomotives, will reach end-of-life in the 2030s (see slide #5). With the procurement, the MBTA aims to preempt this fast-approaching locomotive cliff, which, according to Executive Director of Commuter Rail Mike Muller, must be addressed with new locomotives in revenue service by 2033 to maintain the current level of . . .

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MassDOT Releases Special Commission on Micromobility Final Report
February 28, 2026

In April 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the creation of a Special Commission on Micromobility responsible for studying current state and local regulations and developing recommendations to expand micromobility use to help achieve shared goals for increasing mobility options, emission reductions, and economic vitality. Micromobility vehicles include bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, skateboards, uni-wheels, and other small personal travel devices. The commission is a result of Governor Healey’s economic development legislation, the Mass Leads Act. 

The Commission, which formally met five times over the course of several months, was made up of 15 members representing businesses, interest groups, academic institutions, regulatory agencies, and governing bodies from across the Commonwealth, including A Better City TDM Director, Scott Mullen. You can view the complete list of Commission members here.

In late February 2026, MassDOT announced that the Special Commission on Micromobility Final Report had been filed with the Massachusetts Legislature and is now posted online. The report includes the following recommendations:

  • Recommendation 1: Legislative and Regulatory Changes: The legislature should add the necessary legal definitions to Massachusetts General Law and update all existing relevant definitions or remove those that are no longer relevant.

  • Recommendation 2: Speed-Based Classification Schema: The Commission recommends that the legislature adopt a methodology to classify micromobility devices; define requirements for operating a . . .

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Policy Update: MBTA Communities Law Challenges and Opportunities
February 05, 2026

Section 3A of the Zoning Act (M.G.L c. 40A), or more commonly known as the MBTA Communities Act, was signed into law on January 14, 2021. It requires that the 177 identified towns and cities served by the MBTA must permit the construction of multi-family housing within a half-mile of transit stations at a minimum density of 15 units per acre. As of February 2026, roughly 93% of designated communities are compliant with the law.

In late January 2026, a few key updates related to the MBTA Communities Law hit the press, including a briefing from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announcing it will sue nine communities still non-compliant with the Law, a report release by The Boston Foundation’s Boston Indicators analyzing the transit-oriented development pipeline, and a Boston Globe Editorial contemplating progress to date. Here are the key things to know:

 

How many communities are non-compliant?

As of February 2026, 165 out of 177 total Massachusetts communities within the MBTA service area are compliant with the MBTA Communities Law. Of the twelve non-compliant communities, Freetown is set to vote on a plan in early February, while Carver and Rehoboth have until December 31, 2026, to approve compliant zoning plans. Meanwhile, on January 30, 2026, the Attorney General’s Office held a public webinar to discuss a commitment to pursue legal action against the other nine non-compliant communities: Dracut, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Holden, Marblehead, Middleton, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop. After losing a legal challenge, Milton approved a new zoning plan at a Special Town Meeting on June 17, 2025, and is now in compliance.

 

What action has the Attorney General taken to ensure compliance?

On January 29, 2026, the Attorney General’s Office announced plans to pursue a Declaratory Judgement and Court Order, mandating that all nine non-compliant communities take action to fully comply with the MBTA Communities Law. After the Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court upheld that municipalities subject to the MBTA Communities Law must comply with its stipulations following a suit brought by the Town of Milton (which later fell into line and moved to adopt new plans), the Attorney General’s Office is confident that the Court will continue to support the MBTA Communities Law, and that the added pressure will encourage the non-compliant communities to take action toward developing and adopting compliant zoning plans. As of now, the Attorney General’s Office awaits an official court date. In addition to granting the Attorney General’s requests, the Court may order further relief to force the towns to comply if it continues to uphold the MBTA Communities Law.

 

How is the law performing in terms of catalyzing new housing development?

On January 30, 2026, The Boston Foundation hosted a webinar to present the findings in its recent report assessing the development pipeline in areas zoned for the MBTA Communities Law. According to Senior Research Fellow and report author Amy Dain, development progress is “real but modest.” While 82 of the 177 MBTA Communities have no developable station area, and therefore no capacity for new transit-oriented housing units, there are 102 projects currently in the pipeline, accounting for roughly 7,000 units across 34 communities. Most of these project developments would not be in the pipeline without the encouragement and enforcement of the MBTA Communities Law. Most of these projects are in the permitting phase, therefore it is uncertain whether any given project will acquire financing, pass all code reviews, and enter the construction phase. Dain classified all MBTA municipalities into three major categories based on their level of response to the Law: Municipalities that follow the basic ask and contribute to incremental growth, municipalities that “go above-and-beyond” the requirements, and those that avoid growth through “paper compliance.” While most of the compliant communities are contributing to incremental growth, she found that Lexington, Westford, and Lowell have gone above and beyond based on the number of units in each town’s development pipeline. Further research needs to be done to determine which zoning schemes are truly “paper compliant.”

 

News & Resources

 

Please reach out to Amir Wilson with questions or . . .

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