Conferences

Greater Boston faces a number of challenges that require a long and detailed deliberation. By bringing together key policy makers, scholars, and advocates, the Rappaport Institute's conferences aim to provide a thorough airing of all sides of the issue and foster the kind of dialogue that might lead to meaningful policy change.

The Rappaport Institute takes no policy positions on the issues under discussion at its conferences. The Institute's conference topics are intended to explore topics of immediate policy interest. To provide a coherent and balanced overview of the topics under discussion, the Rappaport Institute commissions short Working Papers for distribution at the event.

Recent Conferences:

Eds, Meds and Municipalities
4/7/2008

Panels and speakers include:
Tina Brooks, Undersecretary, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
Steve Cecil, Principal, The Cecil Group, Boston, MA
Michael F. Collins, MD, Interim Chancellor, UMass Medical School and Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts
Evan Dobelle, President, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA

Issues Panel:
What are the issues that each partner faces in city-university/hospital-community partnerships?

Monica Anderson, Neighborhood Liaison, Community Relations, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI
Mark Bilotta, CEO, Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Worcester, MA
Mayor Clare Higgins, Northampton, MA
Omega Johnson, President, Old Hill Neighborhood, Springfield, MA

Tools Panel:
What are the tools for effective relationships among institutions and municipalities?

Jack Foley, Vice President for Government, Community Affairs, and Campus Services, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Matt Morrissey, Economic Development Director, New Bedford, MA
Omar Blaik, CEO, U3 Ventures, Philadelphia, PA

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and The Cecil Group invite you to take part in this day-long conference to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics involved in the relationships between institutions, neighborhoods, and municipalities, and to provide a toolkit to increase long-term, mutually beneficial strategies for leaders and practitioners from institutions and municipalities. The strategies focus on programmatic, physical, and investment opportunities to spur community and economic development that results in positive returns for all parties—a major theme in the Lincoln Institute's Department of Economic and Community Development and its City, Land, and the University program.

Eds, Meds, and Municipalities is also co-sponsored by the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Massachusetts department of Housing and Community Development, and the Colleges of Worcester Consortium.

Green Cities: Lessons from Boston and Beyond
3/5/2008

Opening Remarks by

Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust

Presentations by

Edward Glaeser, Professor and Director, Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston,
James Hunt, Chief of Environmental and Energy Services, City of Boston,
Daniel Schrag, Professor and Director, Center for the Environment, Harvard University

Commentary and Discussion

David Cash, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Penn Loh, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment
Mindy Lubber, President, CERES

Others to be announced

Moderator and Closing Remarks

David Ellwood, Dean, Kennedy School of Government

Moderated by David Ellwood, Dean, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government

Boston has become a leader among urban efforts to promote environmentally sustainable development, while Harvard's Allston project is in many respects a model for such development. What role can and should these efforts play in efforts to address key environmental issues, notably the problem of global climate change?

Cosponsored by the City of Boston, Harvard's Center for the Environment, and the Taubman Center for State and Local Government

Past Conferences:

2006

Although housing costs in greater Boston have recently leveled off, housing in the region still costs more than in many other parts of the country. At this half-day event, leading scholars and practitioners discussed the current state of the housing market in greater Boston, how housing is affecting the region’s economic competitiveness, and potential policy responses to the current situation. (More)

2005

Adequacy Lawsuits: Their Growing Impact on American Education
October 13-14, 2005

The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and The Program on Education Policy and Governance hosted a major conference on Adequacy Lawsuits: Their Growing Impact on American Education. A distinguished group of scholars from several disciplines presented papers on the historical origins of adequacy lawsuits, the implementation of recent adequacy judgements, and the impact of spending levels on student outcomes. As of January 2005, lawsuits challenging the adequacy of state finance were in various stages of litigation in more than 20 states, but existing research on this subject has been limited. This conference provided an environment for spirited discussions on this pertinent issue and offered useful guidance to advocates and policymakers intent on improving American education. The paper, Massachusetts' Hancock Case and the Adequacy Doctrine by Robert Costrell, education advisor and chief economist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a professor of economics (on leave) at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, that was originally released at the conference and reviews the history and implications of the Hancock case, which unsuccessfully challenged the state’s system of financing and overseeing local schools was released as a Rappaport Institute Working Paper in Spring of 2006.

Building Boston in the 19th and 20th Century
May 10, 2005

A capstone conference for student research on Boston's built environment from American Studies professor Lizabeth Cohen’s undergraduate history class. The conference was held May 10, 2005. (More)

Sustaining Boston's Economic Renaissance
Wednesday, April 27, 2005

A half-day conference was held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on "Sustaining Boston's Economic Renaissance." Speakers included Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Cathy E. Minehan, the bank’s president and CEO; David T. Ellwood, the dean of the Kennedy School; and Edward L. Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard who is the Institute’s director. The conference was cosponsored by the Institute and the Bank's New England Public Policy Center. (More)

2004

The 'D' Word: What It Takes to Build Dense Communities in Greater Boston
Wednesday, January 28, 2004

A follow-up conference to the Boston Society of Architects density conference if September 2003 co-sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects.

For years, density has been a buzzword for all that ails urban America - overcrowding, trashy streets, traffic congestion and inadequate room for recreation or community pursuits. But with the emergence of concerns about regional sprawl, a movement involving planners, architects, community activists and others, has emerged to challenge negative perceptions of density.

The Rappaport Institute and the Boston Society of Architects convened a major conference that explored the different dimensions of density in urban planning and development. (More)

2003

Varieties of Regionalism in Greater Boston
Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Currently, there is great ferment in Greater Boston on regionalism and how to best restructure government agencies. The Romney Administration has restructured state government to better coordinate housing, transportation, environmental, and related policies. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has been developing a sophisticated strategy to pursue regional approaches these issues. The Boston Society of Architects is convening a conference to promote density as a key element of smart growth.

The Varieties of Regionalism in Greater Boston conference provided a framework for this discussion and sorted out some of the approaches that one could take toward issues that are regional in scope. The forum also marked the release of two white papers focusing on key approaches to regional issues. (More)

2002

Coming Around: The Urban Ring and the Future of Boston Transit

On June 24, 2002 the Rappaport Institute hosted a lively discussion, multimedia presentation, and question and answer session on the concept of the Urban Ring in Greater Boston. The aim of the program was to provide a complete overview of the Urban Ring concept, rationales for and against, costs and benefits, implementation options, and more. (more)

The Future of Paid Family Leave in Massachusetts
Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Despite the fiscal crisis and the changed priorities after September 11, Policy makers in Massachusetts are exploring legislation that would provide some form of financial assistance to workers who need to take time off for childbirth, elder care, medical emergencies, and other family matters. The Rappaport Institute and the Center for Women and Enterprise sponsored a conference and Working Paper on the topic on April 24, 2002.(More)

2001

Testing, Testing
Thursday, October 11, 2001

At the center of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 was a simple bargain: More state aid for schools in exchange for some means to hold schools accountable for their performance. The major tool of accountability - the MCAS test - has become a topic of heated debate as high school seniors face the prospect of not graduating when the fail the MCAS. The Rappaport Institute and the Program on Education Policy and Governance hosted a major conference and issued a Working Paper on October 11, 2001. (More)

'How We Live'
June 14 - 16, 2001

The Rappaport Institute has been part of a regional discussion, coordinated by the Boston Society of Architects, about the challenges posed by sprawl in New England. In the spring of 2001, the Rappaport Institute hosted the final major public event of the process, called a "future search." The process brought together more than 100 public officials, community stakeholders, and others to chart a new direction for regional land-use planning.

The Future Search was one chapter of a yearlong dialogue sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects' on "Creating Livable Communities: A Civic Initiative for New England."