Study: Boston 2024 Needs Coordinated Organization

(ATR) A new report shows that Boston 2024 could use better organizational practices to help the Olympic bid.

Done by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, and Transportation for Massachusetts, the report says the planning process for Boston 2024 could use an Olympic organizing commission to coordinate the message.

"Overall, there is no clear link between the private host committee and the public agencies that must review its proposals," the report states.

"The project will require a myriad of public approvals, but no public entity exists to coordinate the review process. There are many good reasons to adopt a much more proactive and comprehensive approach to Olympic-related planning, and to do so quickly."

The report believes that private funding will be used for the Games, but being transparent on which public funds will be used for infrastructure and legacy will help unify the vision of the bid, and bring the public on board.

The report highlights the need for affordable housing in Boston, as well as how upgrades to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority would fit seamlessly in with the proposed Olympic venue sites.

"An aging transit system, sky-high housing costs, strained public finances, and lack of coordinated planning, are all issues that must be tackled if we are to attain a more connected, livable, and prosperous Metro Boston in 2024 – with or without the Olympics," the report added.

"Now is the time for the region’s political, community, and business leaders to come together around a shared set of goals, to coordinate their actions, and to bring about a truly "Greater Boston Region," by putting legacy first."

The full report can be downloaded and read here.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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