Boston’s housing landscape is continuing to shift, and several neighborhoods are about to look very different. In June 2026, the Boston Planning Department approved five development projects representing 763 new homes, including 104 income-restricted units, across Allston, Dorchester, Downtown Boston, and South Boston. The projects range from housing above a longtime Allston business to the transformation of a former South Boston power plant into a major waterfront destination. For buyers considering moving to Boston, these approvals are worth watching because new housing is only part of the story. Development can bring new retail, public spaces, transportation improvements, restaurants, sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and investment into the neighborhoods surrounding it.

Read the original Boston Planning Department announcement

Boston’s Housing Story Is Also a Neighborhood Story

Boston has been working to increase housing production while finding new ways to use existing buildings and underutilized properties. That includes office-to-residential conversions Downtown, mixed-use projects along major corridors, and redevelopment of former industrial sites. Allston is a particularly interesting neighborhood to watch. Long associated with students, longtime residents, local businesses, and its proximity to Cambridge, the neighborhood is seeing significant investment around Western Avenue and Barry’s Corner. The city’s Western Avenue planning efforts have encouraged additional housing and commercial development, while the nearby Harvard Enterprise Research Campus is creating a longer-term vision for a mixed-use district with housing, employment, small businesses, transportation connections, and public open space. For someone relocating to Greater Boston, this matters. You’re not simply choosing a house or condo based on what surrounds it today. Understanding what is planned for the next five or ten years can give you a much better picture of where a neighborhood may be heading.

What’s Actually Being Built?

One of the most locally significant projects is at 170–172 Western Avenue in Allston, where the family-owned Flint Cleaners property will be redeveloped into an eight-story mixed-use building. The longtime dry cleaner will remain, with a beauty salon and additional commercial space at street level. Above it will be 20 new homes, including three income-restricted units, with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences. Plans also call for updated sidewalks, landscaping and bike infrastructure. The building is expected to use mass-timber construction.

But Allston is only one piece of this development wave. At 11 Avenue de Lafayette in Downtown Boston, existing office space will be converted into 70 residences, including 11 income-restricted homes. Existing ground-floor retail will remain. The project is part of Boston’s larger effort to convert underused commercial buildings into residential properties and bring more full-time residents into Downtown Boston. In South Boston, the scale gets considerably larger. Phase Two of the redevelopment at 776 Summer Street is expected to include up to 636 residences as part of the transformation of the historic Boston Edison power plant property. Plans include hotel and conference space, restaurants, retail, healthcare, offices, approximately two acres of public open space, transportation improvements, and adaptive reuse of the historic 1898 Turbine Hall.

See the Boston Planning Department's project information

Why Boston Buyers Should Be Paying Attention

Here’s the part I think relocation buyers sometimes overlook: you’re buying into the future of a neighborhood, not just its current version. A development adding hundreds of homes can also mean new businesses, more pedestrians, public-space improvements and greater demand for transportation and neighborhood amenities. That doesn’t automatically mean property values will rise, but it can change how an area functions and how buyers perceive it. Transportation matters, too. Buyers comparing Boston neighborhoods can use the MBTA to understand subway, bus and commuter rail connections before deciding where they want to live.

Allston is especially worth watching because multiple planning initiatives are converging there. In addition to the June approvals, Boston approved further Allston housing projects in July, including 58 homes at 1200 Soldiers Field Road and 39 homes at 34–36 Pratt Street.

Read Boston's July 2026 development update

For buyers comparing Allston, Brighton, Cambridge, Brookline, Downtown Boston or South Boston, knowing what is already approved—and what is still being planned—can be just as important as looking at current listings.

Moving to Boston? Look Beyond the Listing

Boston changes block by block, which is why I encourage relocation buyers to look beyond bedrooms, bathrooms and the asking price. Transportation, development, neighborhood investment, walkability and what’s coming next can all shape how a location fits your life. If you’re considering moving to Boston or Greater Boston, understanding these neighborhood changes before you buy can help you make a much more informed decision about where to live.

About Katherine Kranenburg

Katherine Kranenburg, REALTOR®, is a Luxury Marketing Specialist and top-producing Greater Boston REALTOR® with nearly two decades of experience helping buyers and sellers navigate one of the country's most competitive real estate markets.

Recognized as a Boston Magazine Top Real Estate Agent and backed by 5-Star Google reviews and client recommendations, Katherine is known for making relocation to Greater Boston feel seamless and stress-free. She specializes in helping relocation buyers, luxury home buyers, move-up families, downsizing homeowners, and sellers make confident real estate decisions with expert local guidance.

Whether you're buying or selling in Boston, Newton, Wellesley, Brookline, Back Bay, Newton Centre, Waban, Newton Highlands, or the surrounding Greater Boston communities, Katherine combines in-depth market knowledge, strategic negotiation, and personalized service to help clients achieve exceptional results.