Density Per Square Mile Of Land Area

This comparison examines the 2023 population of those communities contained in the MBTA Communities Act relative to its land area in square miles, which excludes water bodies, as determined by the Massachusetts Geographical Information System (MassGIS) database. The MBTA Communities Act mandates further densification in concentrated areas of these communities, with Governor Healey threatening to withhold grant funds and pursue lawsuits for noncompliance.

The reality of densification is that it leads to higher rents and housing costs. Consider major cities across the United States—are they more affordable or less? The MBTA Communities Act isn't focused on creating affordable housing; it's about developing market-rate or luxury units and discourages affordable units capping them at 10%, whereas the minimum for Chapter 40B is 20-25% in perpetuity.

One must question, if there is truly a housing crisis, why are only 177 out of the 351 communities in Massachusetts being required to step up and help solve it?