The Transit Planning Game: A Spectator's Guide
to the Planning of the South Boston Seaport

Dhavi Wilson
Bachelor's of Arts in Environmental Studies
May 2002

City planning theory insists that three conditions be present before public transportation can be deemed a viable option in a city. High-density development, mixed-use development, and a well-designed transit line are all crucial to the success of transit systems. In South Boston, a new, transit-dependent district is being planned. However, the transit planning process in Boston has been surprisingly unmindful of these three planning factors. Rather, the planning decisions affecting this new district have been based, to a shocking degree, on political self-interest. Although political self-interest is a difficult element to remove from city planning, the creation of a framework for cooperation between the numerous agencies involved in the process would help to promote more informed decision-making