ruminations about architecture and design

Thursday, January 8, 2015

not holding breath for olympics decision

Actually, I hope Boston gets it. As I stated last year when this story emerged, the value of an Olympic bid lies in its capacity to generate dialogue. I wonder how the organizing group will react if they fail this round. Try again in four years?

In other news, the fracas between Mayor Walsh and Steve Wynn over the proposed Everett casino is demonstrating the overall weakness of Boston when it comes to setting policy for the region. Should Boston have more power to shape planning and development trends in neighboring communities? Would more centralized control result in more efficient use of public resources and better outcomes for everyone? Towers of ilium does not have a good answer. Specific to the casino issue, I don't recall reading a good explanation of how Revere and Everett are different. Revere lost because the Suffolk Downs proposal had a shakier financial profile. Wynn approached the issue objectively, and from everything I have read, transparently. I doubt I'll ever visit the casino if it is built. Besides, the real loser is Connecticut.

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