A decent article by Tom Keane on the editorial page of the Globe today. He was defending the Boston Redevelopment Authority as an instrument of the office of the mayor. Although the BRA can appear to be capricious, subjective, and insensitive it does seem to have a track record of getting things done. My experience with many "planning" boards in small towns is that they exist to preserve the stupidity of existing conditions and are deeply risk averse when it comes to changes in scale and use in a community. The BRA, as its name implies, is tasked with dealing with a constantly changing and expanding urban landscape. In order to get things done it has to have its power concentrated.
Of course, I've never dealt with them. If I was dealing with them on a regular basis I might go mad. But, cities require a certain type of madness.
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