In addition, his ambitious hosing plan to add 53,000 new units by the year 2030 is ahead of schedule. He reported that nearly 10,500 units have been completed and another 7,200 under are under construction. The city has a residential pipeline that now totals more than 17,000 units.

In terms of the reforms of the city's 59-year-old regulatory agency, the mayor promised that the Boston Planning and Development Authority will be modern and state of the art and will understand the needs of Boston today and tomorrow. He noted that the agency will be innovative and inclusive in shaping development in the city.

To that end the renamed agency will redesign community meeting formats to provide more context and more clarity, and offer an online platform for neighborhood-specific updates and feedback.

In respect to the mayor's push for inclusion, he said that beginning this fall, planning and development review teams will visit Boston's neighborhoods to inform residents what the new process will look like. The mayor noted that while the citywide unemployment rate is about 4%, not all sections of the city are enjoying robust economic growth. For example, neighborhoods of color like Roxbury and Mattapan have unemployment rates three or four times higher than the citywide rate.

He noted to address racial inequality in Boston, the city will hold a series of public conversations this fall on race and equity with a goal of establishing a more open dialogue in Boston about race.

“Our ultimate goal is a sustained and equitably shared prosperity,” the mayor told the Chamber gathering. “We won't achieve that goal without an inclusive process for managing public and private investment and without planning that can adapt to changing conditions and maintain deep community engagement.”

BOSTON—In a speech before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said the city's strong and diverse economy is opening up new opportunities “that could change the world.”

Also at the sold-out Chamber event held at the Westin Copley Place Hotel, Mayor Walsh detailed the ongoing rebranding and reform of the Boston Redevelopment Authority into what is now being called the Boston Planning and Development Authority.

“Boston has reached a position of economic leadership that is unprecedented in our history,” said Mayor Walsh. “We've let go of the insular culture and top-down leadership of the past. We've deepened our core strengths and we've built carefully and confidently beyond them. We are looking to the future and opening our arms to the world, and the world is responding.”

The mayor rattled off a series of positive economic statistics, including the fact that in the past two years the city has seen $12 billion worth of development projects enter its pipeline, half of which is currently under construction. At present, the city's unemployment rate is the lowest in 15 years at below 4%. He also noted that recently firms such as AutoDesk, Flextronics, and Continuum have moved to Boston. He said those firm's facilities, along with the future headquarters for General Motors, will “help bridge the gap between innovation and manufacturing in our economy.”

In addition, his ambitious hosing plan to add 53,000 new units by the year 2030 is ahead of schedule. He reported that nearly 10,500 units have been completed and another 7,200 under are under construction. The city has a residential pipeline that now totals more than 17,000 units.

In terms of the reforms of the city's 59-year-old regulatory agency, the mayor promised that the Boston Planning and Development Authority will be modern and state of the art and will understand the needs of Boston today and tomorrow. He noted that the agency will be innovative and inclusive in shaping development in the city.

To that end the renamed agency will redesign community meeting formats to provide more context and more clarity, and offer an online platform for neighborhood-specific updates and feedback.

In respect to the mayor's push for inclusion, he said that beginning this fall, planning and development review teams will visit Boston's neighborhoods to inform residents what the new process will look like. The mayor noted that while the citywide unemployment rate is about 4%, not all sections of the city are enjoying robust economic growth. For example, neighborhoods of color like Roxbury and Mattapan have unemployment rates three or four times higher than the citywide rate.

He noted to address racial inequality in Boston, the city will hold a series of public conversations this fall on race and equity with a goal of establishing a more open dialogue in Boston about race.

“Our ultimate goal is a sustained and equitably shared prosperity,” the mayor told the Chamber gathering. “We won't achieve that goal without an inclusive process for managing public and private investment and without planning that can adapt to changing conditions and maintain deep community engagement.”