♪ >> I AM GAUTAM MUKUNDA.

TONIGHT ON GREATER BOSTON, TWO PEDESTRIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY TRUCKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

IT IS THE CITY DOING ENOUGH TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE?

AFTER LOCKDOWNS MANY COMPANIES ARE EAGER TO GET EMPLOYEES BACK IN THE OFFICE.

SHOULD EMPLOYERS FORCE THEM BACK?

TODAY, A MAN WAS HIT AND KILLED BY A CEMENT TRUCK ON I-93 IN SOUTH BOSTON JUST OVER A WEEK AFTER A FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS KILLED BY A PICKUP TRUCK OUTSIDE THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IN BOSTON’S FOUR-POINT NEIGHBORHOOD.

IN FEBRUARY, TWO MEN, ONE ON A MOPED, WERE HIT AND KILLED PEDESTRIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED AT ALARMING RATES.

70 PEOPLE DIED LAST YEAR.

WHY DO WE SEE SO MANY DEATHS AND WHAT CAN WE DO?

I’M JOINED BY BOSTON’S CHIEF OF STREETS, JASCHA FRANKLIN-HODGE, CATHERINE GLEASON AND GBH NEWS TRANSPORTATION REPORTER BOB SEAY .

JASCHA, WHAT ARE THE STEPS THE CITY IS TAKING?

>> THE CITY HAS INVESTED FOR MANY YEARS IN A VISION ZERO PROGRAM, TRYING TO END DEATHS AND SERIOUS ROADWAY INJURIES WITH CHANGES TO THE DESIGN OF OUR STREETS, ADDING IMPROVEMENTS THAT HELP COULD ADD -- HELP PEDESTRIANS CROSS SAFELY, CHANGES THAT SLOWDOWN SPEEDING DRIVERS SO THERE ARE FEWER DEATHS AND COLLISIONS AMONG MOTORISTS.

THESE CHANGES CAN TAKE TIME TO DO ACROSS A CITY AS BIG AS BOSTON, BUT OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN TO METHODICALLY CHANGE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO REDUCE RISK.

THERE ARE STILL TOO MANY PEOPLE, THOUSANDS OF YEAR, INJURED ON CITY STREETS AND TYPICALLY ABOUT ONE DOZEN ARE KILLED IN AN AVERAGE YEAR AND WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO TO BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN.

>> CATHERINE, HOW DOES BOSTON COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY?

>> LOOKING AT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, BOSTON TENDS TO DO BETTER IN TERMS OF REDUCING PEDESTRIAN CRASHES THAN THE REST OF MASSACHUSETTS.

IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS WHEN WE ARE REACTING TO THE TRAGIC DEATH OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL, IT IS OF COURSE HARD TO THINK ABOUT HOW WELL BOSTON IS DOING AT REDUCING CRASHES WHEN THEY ARE STILL HAPPENING AND THEY ARE PEOPLE’S LIVES.

>> VOLVO, WE HAD A HORRIBLE INCIDENT A FEW DAYS AGO.

DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE FAILURES ARE CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN IN XAVIER BECERRA’S?

>> WE DO NOT HAVE A CAUSE BUT THERE ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

SPEED AND VISIBILITY, THESE ARE TWO ISSUES I KNOW THE CITY IS ADDRESSING.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRIVING.

THEY CAN BE DISTRACTED.

THERE IS A LOT TO LOOK AT WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY AND BEING CONSCIOUS OF BEING ABLE TO SEE EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT.

THE CITY HAS IMPROVED VISIBILITY PARTICULARLY AT THAT INTERSECTION.

>> THE CITY, MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF MY TEAM WERE HEARTBROKEN AT THE DEATH OF YOUNG GRACIE ON A CITY STREET AND IT SHOULD NEVER TAKE A CIRCUMSTANCE LIKE THIS TO BRING CHANGE.

WE KNOW IN THE AFTERMATH OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WE PUT ALL THE RESOURCES WE CANNOT THIS LOCATION, LOOKING AT ALL THE FACTORS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO A CRASH AND SOME CHANGES WE HAVE ALREADY MADE.

A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON SPEED AND VISIBILITY.

WE HAVE ADDED DAYLIGHTING, WHERE WE BLOCK A PARKING SPACE ON THE CORNER OF THE CROSS WALK BY THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TO MAKE SURE YOUR CARS CAN SEE PEDESTRIANS.

THAT SLOWS DOWN CARS ON THE TURN.

WE HAVE RESTRIPED EVERY CROSSWALK SURROUNDING THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM AND MARTENS PARK TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE BRIGHT AND REFLECTIVE.

WE HAVE OTHER CHANGES PLANNED, BUT THE BIG PICTURE IS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO RECONSTRUCT STREETS IN THIS AREA.

CONGRESS STREET, A STREET, WITH SAFETY AS AN EMPHASIS.

THIS IS A MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION AND TAKES A WILD TO PLAN BUT WE EXPECT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR AND BE A $9 MILLION PROJECT BRINGING IMPROVEMENTS LIKE RAISED CROSSWALKS AND PROTECTED BIKE LANES TO MAKE THE STREETS SAFER.

>> SO NATIONWIDE, THE GOVERNORS DATA SAYS PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES FROM JANUARY IN JUNE IN 2019 THROUGH 2023, IT WAS JUST UNDER 3000 IN 2019.

BY 2023 IT’S UP TO 3073, SO THE COUNTRY IS GETTING WORSE.

BOSTON IS DOING BETTER, RIGHT?

IN 2022 IT WAS 12 AND 2023 IT WAS SEVEN.

I’M AMAZED THE NUMBERS ARE NOT HIGHER BECAUSE THE INDEX CASE -- I’M THE INDEX CASE OF SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT PAY ATTENTION, SO WHAT ARE THE STEPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM TAKE TO GET THE NUMBERS DOWN TO VISION ZERO?

>> ABSOLUTELY, THE PROGRESS THE CITY HAS MADE AND THE URGENCY WITH WHICH THEY HAVE ADDRESSED A LOT OF SAFETY ISSUES AT THE SITE OF THIS AWFUL CRASH IS INCREDIBLY ENCOURAGING TO SEE AND OF COURSE KNOWING THAT CONSTRUCTION AND MORE ACTUALLY CHANGING OF THE STREETS TAKES LONGER.

SO WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THAT.

SOMETHING ELSE WITH RESPECT TO THE CRASH, THE CITY HAS LESS CONTROL OVER THE ISSUE -- AND PART OF THE REASON CRASHES ARE ON THE RISE NATIONALLY IS WITH RESPECT TO THE INCREASING SIZE AND WEIGHT OF VEHICLES.

RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THESE SORTS OF VEHICLES LIKE SUVS OR PICKUP TRUCKS, WHICH IS WHAT THE DRIVER WAS OPERATING IN THIS CRASH IN PARTICULAR, WE KNOW THAT VISIBILITY IS NOT AS GOOD.

IT IS HARDER TO SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE WALKING OR BIKING ON THE ROAD AND ALSO, JUST THE SIZE AND THE WEIGHT MEANS THAT THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF TRAUMATIC INJURY OR FATALITY WHEN STRUCK BY THESE VEHICLES.

>> SO THE NORMAL VEHICLE OF WHY PEOPLE LIKE TO DRIVE IN LARGE VEHICLES IS THEY FEEL SAFER, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEATH RATE NOT FOR PEDESTRIANS BUT PEOPLE IN CARS, THE UNITED STATES WHICH HAS ENORMOUS CARS, THE U.S. IS LESS SAFE.

IN SWEDEN THE DEATH RATE PER 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE IS TWO POINT TWO.

IN THE UNITED STATES IT IS 11.1, MORE THAN TWO TIMES AS HIGH.

SO WHAT ARE THE DRIVING FACTORS MAKING DRIVING LESS SAFE IN THE U.S. AND WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO IMPROVING THE SITUATION?

>> ONE COMMON COMPLAINT YOU HEAR IS SPEED.

PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING DOWN THE STREETS.

PEOPLE AT SLEEPER IN CONGRESS STREET SAID THERE WAS DRAG RACING GOING ON AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK JASCHA FRANKLIN-HODGE WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT THE CITY IS CURBING SPEED?

>> GREAT QUESTION AND THESE FACTORS ABOUT CHANGING VEHICLE WEIGHT AND CHANGING BEHAVIORS WITH DRIVERS, WE SEEM MORE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, LESS WILLINGNESS TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS.

I WAS LOOKING AT CHANGES WE PUT IN YESTERDAY ON CONGRESS AND SLEEPER AND WATCHING DRIVERS BELIEVE THEIR WAY INTO A CROSSWALK WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO CROSS IS HEART STOPPING.

THIS IS HAPPENING LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER A CHILD WAS KILLED HERE.

AND YOU WATCH THIS BEHAVIOR IN FRONT OF A MEMORIAL FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS KILLED.

THIS RELATES TO ENFORCEMENT AND ESTABLISHING SAFER NORMS FOR HOW PEOPLE OPERATE VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY HEAVY VEHICLES ON CITY STREETS.

THERE’S A LOT WE CAN DO FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE.

WE ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR A SAFETY SEARCH PROGRAM WHICH WILL BRING SPEED HUMPS TO EVERY RESIDENTIAL STREET IN BOSTON.

WERE PLANNING 500 SPEED HUMPS A YEAR.

THIS RECOGNIZES NOT ONLY ARE PEOPLE DRIVING FASTER, VEHICLES OR HEAVIER, BUT WITH THE RISE OF NAVIGATION APPS PEOPLE ARE BEING ROUTED INTO NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE 10 YEARS AGO THEY WOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE MAIN STREET.

NOW THEY ARE USING CUT THROUGH’S TO SAVE TWO MINUTES ON THEIR DRIVE TO WORK.

USING THINGS LIKE WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF SPEED HUMPS IS ONE TOOL WE CAN DEPLOY QUICKLY.

WE ARE MAKING CHANGES AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS, SLOWING PEOPLE DOWN ON TURNS AND IMPROVING VISIBILITY.

ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER IS PART OF A SYSTEM AND WHILE WE CANNOT REGULATE THE SIZE OF VEHICLES, WE CAN REDUCE THE CHANCE THAT VEHICLES WILL CONTACT A PEDESTRIAN AND HOPEFULLY SAVE SOME LIVES.

>> JASCHA FRANKLIN-HODGE, ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE BOSTON POLICE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS IN THE CITY?

>> WE ARE.

ENFORCEMENT IS TRICKY BECAUSE YOU CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME AND ENFORCEMENT COMES WITH CONSEQUENCES AND IMPACTS FOR SOCIETY.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TRAFFIC LAWS ARE TREATED SERIOUSLY BY PEOPLE WHO DRIVE ON OUR STREETS AND POLICE ENFORCEMENT IS PART OF THAT.

WE BELIEVE AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT USING CAMERAS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE PROVEN SAFETY BENEFITS IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE DEPLOYED IT.

MASSACHUSETTS LAW DOES NOT ALLOW US TO DEPLOY THEM AND WE WOULD LIKE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IN SELECT LOCATIONS WHERE WE KNOW THERE IS A BIG SAFETY BENEFIT TO BE HAD.

NEAR A SCHOOL OR OTHER SAFETY SENSITIVE LOCATIONS WITH A HISTORY OF CRASHES.

WE HOPE THE STATE LEGISLATURE WILL CHANGE THE LAW AND ALLOW US TO DO AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT.

>> CATHERINE, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY THAT WE ARE NOT DOING?

>> TO JASCHA FRANKLIN-HODGE’S POINT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND DRIVING IS TO FOCUS ON HOW STREETS ARE ENGINEERED AND WHAT THE CONFLICT POINTS ARE BETWEEN FOLKS CROSSING THE STREET, FOLKS BIKING AND FOLKS WHO ARE DRIVING.

AND I THINK THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY THAT WE CAN REALLY BE MAKING NOT JUST PEOPLE SAFER, BUT ALSO MAKING EVERYBODY’S EXPERIENCE AS THEY NAVIGATE THE STREETS BETTER.

>> SO JASCHA FRANKLIN-HODGE HAD TO DROP OUT EARLY, BUT WE THANK HIM FOR JOINING US.

CATHERINE, SAME WITH YOU.

THIS TOUCHES LIVES IN BOSTON SO WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT VERY OFTEN.

NEXT, YEARS AFTER LOCKDOWNS FORCED MOST PEOPLE TO STAY HOME, MANY WORKERS ARE HANGING ONTO THEIR LIFESTYLE, BUT EMPLOYEES ARE ITCHING TO BRING EMPLOYEES BACK -- EMPLOYERS ARE ITCHING TO BRING EMPLOYEES BACK.

OFFICE BUILDINGS ARE SITTING EMPTY.

CAN WORKERS BE PERSUADED TO DITCH THEIR HOME OFFICES AND LAPDOGS OR IS THIS THE NEW NORMAL?

I’M JOINED BY PRITHWIRAJ CHOUDHURY WHO STUDIES THE EFFECTS OF HOMEWORK AND JIM ROONEY FROM BOSTON’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WHY ARE OFFICES MANDATING RETURN TO WORK?

>> PARTLY BECAUSE OLD HABITS DIE HARD BUT I REMIND BUSINESS LEADERS THAT THERE IS A STRONG REASON FLEXIBLE WORK IS STICKING AND THAT IS BECAUSE THIS IS A TALENT STRATEGY.

IF ANY ORGANIZATION WANTS TO MAINTAIN HIGH QUALITY, DIVERSE TALENT, THIS HAS TO BE PERMANENT.

>> JIM, HOW MUCH RETURNING TO OFFICE HAS HAPPENED?

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE VALUE OF OFFICE REAL ESTATE IN BOSTON THAT MIGHT TELL US HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THE OFFICES?

>> THE VALUE OF BUILDINGS AS MENTIONED IN RECENT YEARS HAS GONE DOWN, THAT IS CLEAR.

FROM AN OCCUPANCY PERSPECTIVE, WE’VE GOT A 17% OCCUPANCY RATE.

NOT LEAST IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON.

AND ANY GIVEN WEEK THERE IS ABOUT 65% OF THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY COMING INTO THE WORKPLACE, BUT AS YOU SUGGEST, EMPLOYERS ARE TRYING TO REQUIRE MORE TIME IN THE OFFICE AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING WAYS TO ENFORCE THAT.

>> SO, PRITHWIRAJ CHOUDHURY’S TIME IN THE OFFICE MORE IMPORTANT?

MY WIFE OBSERVES WHEN PEOPLE SHE HIRES DID NOT SPEND TIME IN THE OFFICE THEY MISSED OUT ON THE MENTOR SHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HAD.

PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY EARLY IN THEIR CAREER CAN BE YEARS BEHIND WHERE THEY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE BECAUSE THEY MISSED OUT ON THAT.

>> TWO POINTS HERE.

THERE IS NO DENYING WE NEED IN PERSON TIME, BUT THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE INCLUDING A STUDY WE PUBLISHED, WHICH IS AN EXPERIMENT WE RAN OVER NINE WEEKS, SUGGEST THAT ABOUT 25% TO 40% SHOULD BE IN PERSON.

WE NEED MORE EXPERIMENTS AND THE TRUTH IS WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE BACK EVERY DAY.

25% DAYS IN OUR STUDY -- IT NEED NOT BE EVERY WEEK.

THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND TEAMS THAT ARE MEETING FOR ONE ENTIRE WEEK EVERY MONTH.

THERE IS AN OFFSITE MODEL THAT IS CATCHING ON, SO THERE ARE WAYS TO ORGANIZE IN PERSON.

>> JIM IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS, WHY THE PUSH TO BRING PEOPLE BACK.

STATE STREET ANNOUNCED THEY WANTED PEOPLE BACK IN THE OFFICE BY DAYS A WEEK.

>> STATE STREET HAS MOVED TO MORE REQUIRED DAYS.

WE NEED MORE DATA TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE TIME WE HAVE HAD POST-PANDEMIC ERA.

CERTAINLY PEOPLE DID MERGE PERSONAL LIVES AND WORK LIVES IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO DO.

THAT BEING SAID, TEAMS AT WORK, MAY BE OLD HABITS DIE HARD AS I SUGGESTED.

THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO NURTURE ONE’S CAREER AND CREATE MENTOR SHIP OPPORTUNITIES.

NETWORKING, CONNECTING WITH EACH OTHER.

AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS FOR A LONG TIME, OUR BUSINESS SYSTEMS HAD WAYS OF MANAGING THE IN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT AND THERE’S A NUMBER OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WILL ADJUST OVER TIME.

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO WORK FROM HOME.

BUT THERE’S DIFFERENT WAYS OF GETTING FUNCTIONS DONE.

THERE’S OUTSOURCING, GIG ECONOMY WORKERS, CONTRACTORS IN THE CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW -- THIS WILL BE A BIG MANAGEMENT EXPERIMENT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, HOW DO YOU MANAGE THIS REMOTE WORKFORCE IN COMBINATION WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORKPLACE?

HOW DO YOU MERGE THE TWO AND DO IT EFFECTIVELY?

>> PRITHWIRAJ CHOUDHURY, WHAT ARE THE KEY PIECES OF ADVICE YOU GIVE TO MANAGERS AND WORKERS DEALING WITH THE PARTIALLY REMOTE ENVIRONMENT?

>> I AGREE WITH SEVERAL THINGS THAT JIM SAID.

FIRST, WE NEED MORE DATA.

IT IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF BOTTOM-UP EXPERIMENTATION, SO ONE ADVICE I GIVE TO BUSINESS LEADERS IS YOU HAVE SOME TOP-DOWN BROAD POLICIES LIKE 25% DAYS COULD BE IN PERSON, BUT YOU GIVE TEAMS THE FLEXIBILITY TO EXPERIMENT.

SO SOME TEAMS COULD FIND THE RHYTHM OF ONE DAY EVERY WEEK, OTHER TEAMS COULD FIND A DIFFERENT RHYTHM OF ONE ENTIRE WEEK EVERY MONTH.

IT LET THE EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN AND MUST LEARN FROM THE BEST PRACTICES.

THE FINAL THING IS WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE A NORTH STAR.

THE NORTHSTAR HERE IS THAT THIS IS GOOD FOR COMPANIES BECAUSE IT ALLOWS COMPANIES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN BETTER QUALITY AND DIVERSE TALENTS.

>> SO JUST TO FOLLOW-UP ON THAT, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT IS FINDING ITS WAY INTO THE WORK PLACES THAT ARE EXPERIMENTING IN THAT WAY IS THE BROADER ISSUE OF FAIRNESS THAT YOUNG EMPLOYEES IN PARTICULAR LOOK FOR.

SO THERE ARE MANY JOBS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE IN PERSON.

IN TECH, 60% OF THE IN THE WORKPLACE CHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT US?

HOW COME THEY CAN DO IT THAT WAY BUT WE CANNOT?

SO THE PRACTICAL SIDE IS RIGHT NOW A CHALLENGE EMPLOYERS ARE WORKING THROUGH.

>> CAN I ADD?

I AGREE WITH BOTH OF THOSE IN THE FIRST POINT IS MANY OF THESE MANDATES DO NOT FUNCTION WELL BECAUSE IF YOU SAY COME BACK THREE DAYS A WEEK AND JIM AND I ARE ON THE SAME TEAM AND HE SHOWS UP MONDAY, TUESDAY WEDNESDAY AND I SHOW UP WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY FRIDAY, WE HAVE ONE DAY IN COMMON.

SO IN PERSON TIME SHOULD BE SCHEDULED IN A WAY THAT THE FULL TEAM SHOWS UP AND THAT IS WHY I LOVE THE OFFSITES.

THEY ATTRACT A TEAM.

JIM’S OTHER POINT ABOUT LOU KOHLER, A LOT OF WORKERS CANNOT WORK REMOTELY, THERE IS A QUIET REVOLUTION, THE DIGITAL TWINS REVOLUTION.

THAT IS A COMBINATION OF SENSORS, AUTOMATION, MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA.

YOU CAN RUN HOSPITALS, OIL RIGS, FACTORIES, SUPPLY CHAIN WAREHOUSES NOW REMOTELY.

I COMPLETELY EXPECT THE FRONTIERS OF WORK TO EXPAND INTO ALL OF THESE SETTINGS AND IT WILL BECOME MORE FAIR.

>> SO JIM, ALSO THE SHIFT IN THE WORKFORCE WILL HAVE BIG IMPLICATIONS FOR BOSTON AS WELL.

THERE IS A FEBRUARY REPORT BY THE BOSTON POLICY INSTITUTE SAYS THE VALUE OF OFFICE SPACE WILL DECLINE 20 OR 30% BY 2020 NINE AND OVERALL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BY 12 TO 13%.

BOSTON WILL FACE A CUMULATIVE REVENUE SHORTFALL OF ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

BOSTON HAS A CRIPPLING HOUSING SHORTAGE AND THE MBR SAID CONVERTING OFFICES TO HOUSING IS FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE IN CITIES LIKE BOSTON.

SO WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS TO RESOLVE THE HOUSING SHORTAGE AND CONVERT BUILDINGS AND HOUSING?

>> I’M NOT SURE THE STUDY YOU ARE REFERRING TO.

I’VE SEEN A STUDY THAT SAYS GIVEN THE BUILDING INVENTORY, OFFICE WILLING INVENTORY, SOME MEANINGFUL AMOUNT OF IT CAN EASILY BE CONVERTED INTO RESIDENTIAL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT DO NOT ALLOW FOR THAT.

I THINK I SAW NUMBERS DOWN IN THE EIGHT TO 10% FOR BOSTON.

BUT YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PAY THE PREMIUM COST OF WHAT IT TAKES, WHETHER IT IS HVAC SYSTEMS, WINDOWS, BATHROOMS, PRACTICAL STUFF.

SO I DON’T EXPECT A LOT OF THAT TO HAPPEN.

THERE IS A BUILDING NEAR OUR OFFICE THAT IS CONVERTING, BUT UPON LOOKING AT IT, IT WAS RESIDENTIAL, MOVED TO OFFICE AND IS GOING BACK TO RESIDENTIAL, SO THAT MAKES SENSE.

I KNOW THAT WILL LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IF IT PENCILED OUT THE WAY PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT, DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY OR BE TALKING ABOUT DOING IT, SO THAT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME FORM OF GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL, STATE OR FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN CITIES TO CONVERT BUILDINGS IN THE WAY YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.

I DO NOT SEE THE MARKET REACTING IN A BIG WAY TO CONVERSIONS.

>> PRITHWIRAJ CHOUDHURY, JIM, MY ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT I’M ALLOWED TO BRING MY PUPPIES WITH ME SO YOU NEED TO MAKE DOG FRIENDLY OFFICES A REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR WORK AND RESEARCH GOING FORWARD.

ON THAT NOTE, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS MORE AS WE RESHAPE THE CITY, SO THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY.

FINALLY TONIGHT, IT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES DRIVING PEOPLE TO THE POLLS THIS ELECTION CYCLE, GBH NEWS SAT DOWN WITH GEN Z VOTERS WITH OPPOSING VIEWS ON ABORTION FOR OUR SERIES POLITICS IR L. >> WHEN WE PROMOTE ABORTION, WE PROMOTE A PROCEDURE THAT ENDS A HUMAN LIFE AND IT IS A SAD THING TO ACCEPT IN THIS SOCIETY.

♪ >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

♪ >> NICE TO MEET YOU.

>> NICE TO MEET YOU TOO.

I OPPOSE ABORTION IN ALMOST ANY CASE.

I WAS HAPPY TO SEE ROE V. WADE OVERTURNED.

>> I AM PRO-ABORTION.

IF MY PARTNER AND I GOT PREGNANT, I WOULD GET AN ABORTION IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I DO NOT SEE MYSELF IN A POSITION TO HAVE CHILDREN.

>> MY FACE HAS INFORMED MY OPINION BUT I’M ABLE TO ARGUE MY PRO-LIFE ETHIC WITHOUT RELIGION.

WHEN DO HUMAN RIGHTS BEGIN?

>> WHEN YOU ARE BORN.

>> I DO NOT SEE MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER BIRTH.

>> I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT IT MEANS TO REMOVE A FETUS AT THOSE DIFFERENT POINTS.

I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE IS HAVING AN ABORTION AT NINE MONTHS.

IF YOU FIND OUT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT THE FETUS IS NOT VIABLE, TO FORCE THE PERSON TO GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE PREGNANCY WITH THAT IS TRAUMATIZING.

>> YOU KEEP USING THE TERM FETUS.

THAT IS JUST ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN LIFE.

THE PRE-BORN CHILD IS DESERVING OF THE RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS, LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

I THINK ABORTION DENIES THE CHILD THE RIGHT TO BE BORN AND HAVE A LIFE AND LIVE FREELY.

>> I WOULD NOT COMPARE A FETUS TO A HUMAN CHILD.

I GET YOUR ARGUMENT, I JUST THINK FOR ME, THE DEFINITIONS ARE DIFFERENT AND THESE LAWS CRIMINALIZE WOMEN MORE SO.

I THINK THAT OUTWEIGHS FOR ME THIS IDEA OF HUMAN RIGHTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE KIND OF SAYING A FETUS AT TWO WEEKS DESERVES THE SAME RIGHTS AS A PERSON.

>> DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE LIMITS ON ABORTION?

>> VIABILITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IS THE FAMILY’S CHOICE WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW?

I THINK LIMITING IT IN ANY CAPACITY MEANS IT IS HARDER TO MAKE THAT CHOICE AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.

>> WHEN WE PROMOTE ABORTION, WE PROMOTE A PROCEDURE THAT ENDS A HUMAN LIFE.

FOR ME, THAT IS A SAD THING TO SAY EXCEPT IN SOCIETY.

>> YOU HAVE THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT OF FORCING PEOPLE TO GIVE BIRTH AGAINST THEIR WILL AND THEN A LACK OF SUPPORT FOR THE STATE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE ALIVE.

>> THERE ARE PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAKE CARE OF WOMEN.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILD AND HIS OR HER MOTHER IS TAKING CARE OF WHEN THEY ARE BORN.

>> I DON’T THINK THE STATE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY BODY.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE FOR ME, BUT NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

IT WENT PRETTY WELL, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

BOTH OF US COMING INTO THIS WANTING TO HAVE A SIMILAR CONVERSATION AND GET EACH OTHER’S POINTS OF VIEW MADE THE CONVERSATION NATURAL.

AT THE END OF THE DAY I DO NOT THINK MY POSITIONS WERE CHANGED.

>> I THINK THE CONVERSATION WENT WELL, BETTER THAN PERSPECTIVE.

MY PERSPECTIVE HAS NOT CHANGED BUT I CAME OUT OF IT HAVING A FRIEND.

>> THAT IS IT FOR TONIGHT, BUT COME BACK TOMORROW.

WORCESTER’S POLICE CHIEF ACKNOWLEDGES HIS DEPARTMENT HARMED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AFTER A REPORT FOUND DISPARITIES IN ARRESTS.

HOW CAN THEY WRITE THOSE WRONGS?

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

I AM GAUTAM MUKUNDA.

GOOD NIGHT.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> TOMORROW, WORCESTER’S INTERIM POLICE CHIEF IS ACKNOWLEDGING HIS DEPARTMENT HARMED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AFTER A