Rucinski: Riverside shows why Newton needs a better way to plan major developments

Rucinski: Riverside shows why Newton needs a better way to plan major developments

The recent approval of the Riverside project highlights an issue in how Newton approaches major developments. Rather than beginning with a clear, city-centric vision for what would best serve our long-term economic, social, and environmental goals, the process began — and largely stayed — with what developers proposed. Public debate centered on responding to proposals instead of asking the more fundamental question of what Riverside should becom…