1.  Higher population density transforming large parts of Newton from suburban to effectively urban, and increasing traffic congestion. 

2.  Continued pressure on City tax revenue to serve an increasing population, with older residents on fixed incomes being pushed out if they can’t afford the increases. 

3.  Loss of middle-income housing due to a combination of luxury development and subsidized “affordable” units, with even those affordable units renting for hundreds of dollars more per month than our naturally affordable rentals.  Consequently, Newton becomes more expensive and less diverse.

4.  Discouraging motor-vehicle use by limiting available parking. This strategy is likely to lead to more ride-share traffic, more on-line shopping deliveries, and a secondary market for private parking. The result would be an increase in traffic congestion..

5.  Loss of green space as smaller, modestly-priced single-family houses are torn down and homes with a larger footprint take their place.

Proximity to public transportation has been used to justify bringing additional density to Newton’s neighborhoods that are near Green Line and commuter rail stations. This “transit-oriented development” thinking ignores recent MBTA service cuts and the fact that use of public transportation by workers commuting from Newton has historically been around 13%, Uber and Lyft were pulling large numbers of people away from public transit even before the pandemic. Furthermore,  the pandemic is revolutionizing corporate and individual attitudes toward commuting and may diminish the effectiveness of TOD strategies.