Interesting debate going on between Chris Cagle and the Modern American about expanding the T and the merits of increased urban density:

Sharon's posted an interesting interactive table that lets you see how Massachusetts cities and towns increase and shrink in population as workers flow in and out during the average workday.

Yes, quelle surprise. But should the state be subsidizing snobbery? Chris runs some numbers on the state's confusing Community Preservation Act (which lets towns raise taxes and get matching state funds to pay for either subsidized housing or to buy up land so nobody can build subsidized housing on it).

Sharon is all in favor of revamping Downtown Crossing - if it can be made into a place people want to go after 7 p.m.:

... I used to enjoy shopping at Filene's and Macy's in Downtown Crossing, but the last couple of times I visited, the stores just seemed depressing - the only women's clothing store worth the trip was H&M. Some modernizing isn’t a bad idea - if it's done with improving the pedestrian ambiance.

Framingham selectmen apparently feel that they can't revitalize downtown Framingham without moving the Salvation Army from its current building on a main street.

If this is true, Framingham selectmen apparently have no clue that there are a lot of other issues that have conspired to "unvitalize" downtown over the past 30 years. Like, oh, all those malls up on Rte. 9.