Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 6h

Fun piece recounting the history of a phenomenal venue. One of my favorite parts of living next door to a city like Boston is access to gems like this.

A century later, Boston’s Wang Theatre is still packing the house - The Boston Globe

Over the past 100 years, it’s been a silent movie palace, a smoky rock club, and more. It’s always been a survivor.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 5d

Can't wait for safe, protected bike lanes on Washington Street in Brookline. The safe street project can't come soon enough. Tired of drivers risking people's lives for their minor convenience.

Delivery van putting people's lives at risk for the driver's own minor convenience by parking in a bike lane on a busy street.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 6d

An e-bike has to be pedaled to make it go and assistance should stop in the 15-18mph range. Everything else is a motorcycle. If we want to include other micromobility (I'm not opposed), they should be capped at 15mph.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 9d

Of course. But I was surprised to see people waiting for others to leave (like cars do every day, and why biking for the grocery run is faster than driving). Was crazy, though also a great day to bike for errands. Loved seeing all ages and types of bikes fill the rack too.

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 9d

There's never enough parking at Trader Joe's. @americanfietser.bsky.social #brookline

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 10d

Great to see @abundanthousingma.org advocating that the Mayor use some of her political capital to push for substantive action on zoning reform and other efforts to increase housing supply in Boston.

Survey says Wu should do more to bring down Boston’s sky-high rents - The Boston Globe

A poll by a state housing advocacy group found that most Bostonians want the city to move more aggressively to build more and rein in housing costs.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 11d

Mind numbingly wonderful afternoon of Lego sorting, even if progress is slow and the end feels far away.

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 11d

“A lot of times, we’re reluctant to change on really dumb things.”

Many of the rules shaping what we can and can’t build today were written 50–60 years ago. If we want to meet Massachusetts’ modern housing needs, everything should be on the table for reform.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/05/o...

Why five feet of building space can doom construction - The Boston Globe

1973 law on high-rise threshold is out of sync with national recommendations.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Weasel Cheese @weaselcheese.com · 11d

Amanda Litman has fast become one of my favorite writers of the mid-20s. Please don’t think any less of her just because one boomer thinks she’s awesome. Just read her stuff.

@amandalitman.bsky.social

“Work won’t love you back” open.substack.com/pub/amandali...

Work won't love you back

That doesn't mean you can't love your work! But know the limits of this love.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 17d

We need to address both housing supply & ensuring family-sized homes that aren't just suburban single-families. Legalizing single-stair (w/safe construction materials) can help with both. We shouldn't be re-inventing the wheel w/long commissions; learn from places like Seattle & get it implemented.

Do apartment buildings really need two stairwells? - The Boston Globe

Fire safety advances have made single-stair construction safer.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 17d

We need to address both housing supply & ensuring family-sized homes that aren't just suburban single-families. Legalizing single-stair (w/safe construction materials) can help with both. We shouldn't be re-inventing the wheel w/long commissions; learn from places like Seattle & get it implemented.

Do apartment buildings really need two stairwells? - The Boston Globe

Fire safety advances have made single-stair construction safer.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 18d

Good explainer from Susan Gittelman on the minimum lot-size reform ballot initiative. Mandating half acre or acre+ lots for a single family house, especially in an area with high land costs like metro Boston, forces only large and expensive houses to be built.

Minimum Lot-Size Reform Is a Modest Idea with Big Potential

A proposed 2026 ballot initiative could seed housing production by making it easier to build more affordable single-family starter homes in Massachusetts.

bankerandtradesman.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 19d

We got there a bit after it started, a little after 5. Saw the city charter table and people collecting signatures to bring California-style jungle primaries to MA. (Not sure how I feel about it, but interesting to think about.)

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 19d

Kid couldn't get enough so we squeezed in one more band. #BrooklinePorchfest #VicesInc #livemusic

The band Vices Inc. Bass, guitar, drums, and vocalist. Performing in front of a blue house.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 19d

Finishing the day with some soulful covers. #BrooklinePorchfest #FiletofSoul #livemusic

The band Filet of Soul playing on a porch in Brookline.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 19d

Few things better than an afternoon bluegrass set under a shady tree. #BrooklinePorchfest #Lemonshiners #livemusic

Bluegrass band under a shady tree. Banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, and fiddle. The Lemonshiners.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 19d

Enjoying a beautiful day in Brookline, biking from concert to concert around town for #BrooklinePorchfest. #JulianSpector #livemusic

The jam rock band Julian Spector in the front yard. Keys, 2 guitars, bass, and drums.

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 22d

Great discussion of the importance of density for vibrant neighborhoods, demystifying the word, & thinking about what density actually looks like. Density doesn’t have to mean 100+ unit apt buildings, but can look like many of the 12-20 home buildings that define Brookline. @landpolicy.bsky.social

Coming to Terms with Density: An Urban Planning Concept in the Spotlight - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

A conversation all about density, on the occasion of the return of an online resource, Visualizing Density, at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy website. Density is in the spotlight as cities and t...

www.lincolninst.edu

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Amy @amylibrarian.bsky.social · 23d

Highly recommend listening to this episode. Paraphrasing what stuck with me the most. I listened yesterday.
Dissents are important and are not about today.
We are writing for a future society.
We have a mandate to bear witness.

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 26d

My friend and colleague Wesley Morris and I had a very sobering conversation about America since the 1619 Project published and how it feels to be falling back under the veil that W.E.B. Du Bois so mournfully wrote about. I hope you’ll listen to this episode of Cannonball @nytimes.com

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 22d

Great discussion of the importance of density for vibrant neighborhoods, demystifying the word, & thinking about what density actually looks like. Density doesn’t have to mean 100+ unit apt buildings, but can look like many of the 12-20 home buildings that define Brookline. @landpolicy.bsky.social

Coming to Terms with Density: An Urban Planning Concept in the Spotlight - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

A conversation all about density, on the occasion of the return of an online resource, Visualizing Density, at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy website. Density is in the spotlight as cities and t...

www.lincolninst.edu

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Sam Mintz @samjmintz.bsky.social · 29d

I just listened to a Brookline Town Meeting member, with a straight face, after testimony from multiple MBTA officials at a public hearing, challenge their conclusions because of something he read on Wikipedia regarding the size of green line cars.

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Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · Sep 14

A little bluegrass music at Brookline Day.

Stop by the @brooklineforeveryone.com table and say hi!

#brookline #brooklineday

Bluegrass band playing on the Brookline Day stage. Guitar, mandolin, cello, bass, and banjo.

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · Sep 8

what a humiliating way for don jr. to find out his dad sends birthday cards.

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

Shirley Leung, PhD @shirleyswirley.bsky.social · Sep 8

I wrote a rant that addresses EVERY Seattle anti-housing "tree advocate" talking point I have ever seen.

It's long but honestly not THAT long lol. I will be very, VERY happy if 5 people read it.

Come be one of them :)

blog.moreparksmoreneighbors.org/page/anti-ho...

Anti-housing, self-proclaimed "tree advocates" are missing the forest for the trees - or worse

“I have to wait HOW long?!” One of the five neighborhood kids gathered around me threw their dirt-caked hands up in disbelief. They were gardening for the first time ever and simply refused to believe...

blog.moreparksmoreneighbors.org

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Reposted by Jeff Wachter

David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · Sep 4

A simple way to improve American downtowns: Make one-way arterials bidirectional.

Doing so will improve safety, boost retail sales, and attract pedestrians.

Me, in Bloomberg 🧵

One-Way Streets Are the Wrong Way to Tame Downtown Traffic

In the 1950s, US traffic planners thought unidirectional arterials were better for moving cars through urban areas. Now many cities are having second thoughts.

www.bloomberg.com

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