City officials say Imagine Boston 2030 will identify the policies and investments necessary to support its recommended goals, including identifying areas where new housing can be constructed to reach the city's 53,000 unit housing goal, which includes nearly 27,000 units of workforce housing by 2030. The final Imagine Boston 2030 plan is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2017.

“This input is an important first step in the planning process because it shapes the conversation about how Boston can leverage its unprecedented growth to create an even better city,” Mayor Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Our overarching goal is to make sure everyone who lives, works and plays in Boston benefits from this growth, while setting the course for future generations to grow inclusively and have access to opportunity.”

The report noted that by 2030 the City of Boston will be home to at least 709,000 residents, an increase of 8% over its current population. It will therefore require the 53,000 additional units Mayor Walsh envisions will be necessary, according to Imagine Boston 2030. On the job front, Boston added almost 45,000 jobs between 2010 and 2014, fueled by growth in professional services, health care and education sectors.

Another factoid that points to the city's impressive growth is that the commercial office sector has expanded with 4.8 million square feet of new office space constructed between 2010 and 2015, a nearly 5% increase in the city's office stock. Add to that another 4.2 million square feet of office space under construction or approved in the pipeline.

“This recent and upcoming office construction is equivalent to adding over seven new Prudential Towers to the city,” Imagine Boston 2030 states in the report. “As we build new housing and office space, we must invest in improvements that ensure growth is inclusive and enable us to attract new workers and businesses.”

According to the report, Imagine Boston 2030 will hold community workshops this month and on March 30 will hold a forum at Boston College to introduce the organization's evolving strategy that will be hosted by The Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action and the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy.

BOSTON—The Imagine Boston 2030 group has released proposed goals to deal with the city's projected population and economic growth in the next 15 years.

The group, formed in October of last year, has been soliciting public input on the future direction of the city. The report entitled “Guiding Growth: Towards an Inclusive City” offers the top citizen responses to the question on how their lives could be better in 2030. The most popular responses were “Housing I can afford,” “Better transportation options,” and “Quality education for all.”

Mayor Martin Walsh, who has proposed to create 53,000 new housing units by 2030, has scheduled a press conference today at 3 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the Imagine Boston 2030's findings.

Imagine Boston 2030 proposes four key goals for Boston's future: provide quality of life in accessible neighborhoods; drive inclusive economic growth; promote a healthy environment and adapt to climate change; and invest in infrastructure, open space and culture.

City officials say Imagine Boston 2030 will identify the policies and investments necessary to support its recommended goals, including identifying areas where new housing can be constructed to reach the city's 53,000 unit housing goal, which includes nearly 27,000 units of workforce housing by 2030. The final Imagine Boston 2030 plan is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2017.

“This input is an important first step in the planning process because it shapes the conversation about how Boston can leverage its unprecedented growth to create an even better city,” Mayor Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Our overarching goal is to make sure everyone who lives, works and plays in Boston benefits from this growth, while setting the course for future generations to grow inclusively and have access to opportunity.”

The report noted that by 2030 the City of Boston will be home to at least 709,000 residents, an increase of 8% over its current population. It will therefore require the 53,000 additional units Mayor Walsh envisions will be necessary, according to Imagine Boston 2030. On the job front, Boston added almost 45,000 jobs between 2010 and 2014, fueled by growth in professional services, health care and education sectors.

Another factoid that points to the city's impressive growth is that the commercial office sector has expanded with 4.8 million square feet of new office space constructed between 2010 and 2015, a nearly 5% increase in the city's office stock. Add to that another 4.2 million square feet of office space under construction or approved in the pipeline.

“This recent and upcoming office construction is equivalent to adding over seven new Prudential Towers to the city,” Imagine Boston 2030 states in the report. “As we build new housing and office space, we must invest in improvements that ensure growth is inclusive and enable us to attract new workers and businesses.”

According to the report, Imagine Boston 2030 will hold community workshops this month and on March 30 will hold a forum at Boston College to introduce the organization's evolving strategy that will be hosted by The Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action and the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy.