Connecting Housing is a proposal recommending changes to increase transit, accessibility, and housing for the Great Road area in Bedford, Massachusetts. There’s a critical shortage of housing across the Boston metropolitan area, driving people to find more affordable homes in more suburban areas. Bedford is one such area and this project seeks to connect these homes to better transit and opportunities.

Boston is soon to surpass San Francisco as the second most expensive city to rent in as well as one of the highest to purchase a home. Brookings finds that distance to work impacts local health and employment prospects, especially of low-income and minority workers. Connecting Housing identified potential new transit routes by visualizing the existing transit and population on a map to find areas that could grow with additional public transit options. Expanding rapid transit to areas that are already populated means lines can be built for existing residents while making the area more accessible and desirable for new homes. Looking closely at the Great Road area shows vast underutilization of the available space. It proposes a potential Red Line Extension through the Route 2 corridor, covering many municipalities west from Cambridge, and sites for construction of housing and public spaces in the form of maps and 3D models. Connecting Housing creates an area supporting residents to find high quality opportunities in a replicable way.