BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Mayor Michelle Wu spoke at a New England Council event on Thursday, highlighting the progress the city has made but also emphasizing the ongoing problems facing Boston.
The New England Council is America’s oldest regional business organization, and at the event on Thursday, local business leaders gathered at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza.
In her speech, Wu said that in the last year, the downtown retail vacancy rate has dropped 17%, “and our regional workforce has also made a comeback.”
However, Wu also pointed out the ongoing problems facing Boston, especially in terms of the cost of living in the area.
The mayor’s top concern was “housing, housing, housing,” she emphasized.
“We need to make Boston a city where people want to be and can afford to stay.”
Wu brought up a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce survey that was released earlier this week, which revealed that one in four young people plan to leave Greater Boston in the next five years.
Read More: A Quarter Of Young Boston Residents Likely To Leave, Survey Finds
Some of the top concerns pushing people to this decision were job availability and affordable housing.
Speaking on the latter problem, Wu said, “We know that we can’t have a serious, productive conversation about housing in Boston without getting to the roots of the city’s role in that, which is zoning.”
Putting the matter bluntly, she stated, “Our zoning system is a mess.”
The Boston Planning and Development Agency is reviewing and could approve plans later on Thursday to add five new zoning types.
And construction is expected to begin this summer on more than 100 downtown apartment units converted from office spaces.
Read More: Boston City Councilor Proposes Pregnant People Use Handicap Parking Spaces
At the New England Council event, Wu also discussed the problems surrounding childcare.
“We’re launching a platform later this month where parents and caretakers will be able to enroll in childcare and search for providers by distance, size, and whether the program is dual language.”
Wu said they will expand this program to Boston Public Schools enrollment next January.
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok