The DEI Plan Disclosure must include plans for the pre-development, construction, and operations phases. It must also provide:

• Specific information about M/WBE commitments and contract values at the time of filing;
• Its strategy for outreach to increase supplier diversity;

• Plans to develop capacity with M/WBE firms;
• Plans to support workforce development in construction and real estate to improve diversity;
• A description of the development team’s track record in undertaking similar efforts in Boston and in other jurisdictions; and
• Any other information relevant to the proponent’s corporate commitment to advancing DEI through economic development.

In addition to Large Projects, this policy applies to Planned Development Areas and Institutional Master Plans.

The DEI in development policy is designed to increase diversity in large development projects, and it builds on an existing BPDA policy adopted in 2018 that requires bidders on publicly owned development parcels to submit diversity plans as part of their bid.

The goals of the new policy include:

• Increasing the BPDA’s understanding of disparities in the real estate market;
• Increasing M/WBE participation over time; and
• Evaluating strategies to drive greater impact.

The DEI Plan Disclosures required under the new policy will not be used at this time to evaluate project proposals submitted under Article 80. The BPDA will study the results of the disclosures and intends to recommend the policy for inclusion in the Boston zoning code in the future.

Resources:

• Boston Planning & Development Agency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Development Policy: Department of Housing and Community Development | Mass.gov
• Boston Planning & Development Agency: Home | Boston Planning & Development Agency (bostonplans.org)

For any questions, please contact Catherine Rollins, Director, ULI Boston/New England at [email protected]