A Better City

A Better City is a Boston nonprofit membership organization that brings business and institutional leaders to the table on transportation, land development, climate and public realm infrastructure. Representing a multi-sector group of nearly 130 business leaders, it engages companies and civic institutions in research and collaboration aimed at influencing policy and producing tangible results. Current work ranges from advocacy for the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project to heat and shade research in Boston neighborhoods through the B-COOL partnership.

The group began as the Artery Business Committee, formed by developers Norman Leventhal and Edwin Sidman to rally business support for the Big Dig. Its 29 founding member companies first met in 1989, aiming to keep downtown accessible during construction and ensure the finished project served the city. After the Big Dig, it broadened to citywide infrastructure and rebranded as A Better City in 2006, later shaping plans for the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Longfellow Bridge and the South Boston Waterfront.

What to Know

• The annual Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Awards honor leaders in transportation, land use and the environment.
• It launched the Challenge for Sustainability and a Transportation Management Association program.
• James M. Tierney of JLL has chaired the board since 2022.
• The organization notes that Boston had record-low vacancy and unemployment rates during Big Dig construction.