Published On: July 14, 20260.3 min read

Full and original posted by WICN.

Worcester Regional Research Bureau’s Executive Director & CEO, Paul Matthews, and Research Associate, Sam Hurwitz, appeared on WICN’s Business Beat to discuss Mapping the Next Opportunity: Worcester County’s Opportunity Zone Choices. Listen below to hear the discussion and read the report.

 

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WRRB releases a 2026 Update of Understanding Your Neighborhood Schools. These dashboards, developed by Worcester Regional Research Bureau in partnership with Worcester Education Collaborative, update the 2024 dashboard with 2025-2026 enrollment data for the Worcester Public Schools, MSBA's 2025 survey data, and data from the 2024 5-YR American Community Survey. As of the 2025-2026 academic year, the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) enrolls 24,677 scholars across 45 elementary, middle, and high schools. These dashboards serve as a valuable resource offering a comprehensive view of each school in the WPS District, including catchment zone maps. Use the Interactive Data Dashboards - link is in the bio. #WorcPoli
The Opportunity Zone (OZ) program uses federal tax incentives to encourage private investment in low-income communities. This brief brings attention to the next round of OZ designations and examines all 49 OZ eligible census tracts across Worcester County, including the 26 in the City of Worcester. An accompanying interactive map provides demographic, economic, tax, and transportation data to help stakeholders evaluate eligible census tracts for the next round of Opportunity Zone designations. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is seeking input from municipalities, developers, community organizations, and residents to help inform which eligible census tracts Governor Healey should nominate for OZ designation. The Administration has also created a 2026 Massachusetts Opportunity Zone Program website with general information about the OZs. Feedback about OZs and the designation process can be submitted through the Opportunity Zone 2.0 Municipal Input Form, which is open until June 17th. Members of the public can also submit feedback through the Community Feedback Form on how Massachusetts should approach OZ designation, which will remain available until June 30th. Read the Brief or Interact with the Map - link in bio #WorcPoli
Building on the Worcester Regional Research Bureau’s prior brief on the Housing Production Plan, Raising Housing: Understanding the Affordable Housing Crisis in Worcester moves beyond description to deeper analysis. While the earlier brief was designed to support public understanding of the HPP, this report examines the plan within a broader analytical framework, highlighting its most consequential findings and assessing their implications. This report situates Worcester’s housing challenges and production targets within the national and statewide context of a growing housing affordability crisis. Drawing on a wide range of research—including national affordability gap analysis, statewide housing plans, and independent analyses of Gateway Cities—it considers how Worcester’s needs fit within a broader context of long-term underproduction, rising costs, and demographic shifts. Read Raising Housing at link in our bio. #WorcPoli
Worcester Regional Research Bureau announces the recipients of the 2026 Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards! Since 1988, The Research Bureau has celebrated the unsung heroes of public service through the Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards. The Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards publicly recognize the extraordinary efforts of individuals across the region who have dedicated their careers and personal lives to our communities. This year, The Research Bureau honors five employees who have made outstanding contributions to public service and embody the ideals of the Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards Join us on June 11, 5pm, at the DCU Center to celebrate these extraordinary individuals. For more information on this year's recipients - check out the link in the bio. #WorcPoli
The latest Insights Insider of the year explores protected land in Worcester County. In partnership with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and using data from Worcester County Insights and MassGIS, we analyzed publicly accessible land, open space, and how the amount of protected land has changed over time. Read Insights Insider: Protected Land in Worcester County - link in bio. #WorcPoli
Worcester faces an intensifying housing crisis shaped by rising rents, stagnant incomes, an aging housing stock, and sustained population growth. Worcester’s Housing Production Plan (HPP) provides a comprehensive roadmap for addressing these challenges, and was approved by the Commonwealth on Feb. 19, 2026 so expires on Feb. 18, 2031. This brief is an overview of the HPP and the core housing challenges, broad goals, and specific strategies the City proposes to address them. The Bureau will publish a forthcoming report that examines the HPP’s projections, strategies, and implementation challenges in the context of statewide housing goals and external benchmarks. Read Bureau Brief: Housing Production Plan Explainer - link in bio. #WorcPoli
Have you read WRRB's report The Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line? If not, here are some of the Key Recommendations: 1. Every community along the line must work together for improved and more frequent service now, before any Allston construction begins. 2. The Grand Junction bridge must not become inaccessible - as this bridge is the shortest link to key maintenance facilities used by all MBTA trains. 3. The third track project should not be forgotten as potentially necessary for the Worcester/Framingham Line to host full Compass Rail Service in the future. 4. Communities themselves must prioritize state infrastructure projects on the line, including improvements to at-grade crossings. For details, read the full report at the link in the bio. #WorcPoli
WRRB released "The Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line" - WRRB Researcher, Josh Boucher, breaks down the report and some of its findings. For more details, read the full report at the link in our bio. #WorcPoli
WRRB - NEW RELEASE - The Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line follows The Research Bureau’s previous work from June 2025, Express for Whom? Ridership, Recovery, and the Importance of the Worcester/Framingham Line. Underscoring the possibilities of this regional rail line that runs between Worcester and Boston dozens of times a day, this report looks at the need and the vision of what that service could look like, explaining ongoing and future work that could unlock its promises. Read The Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line at the link in our bio. #WorcPoli
The Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards Committee is now accepting nominations! This Award is open to all employees from city/town governments, public school districts, and regional agencies who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions to public service in Worcester County, except top executive positions and department or division heads. We invite you to submit nominations by Friday, March 27, 2026. Nomination forms can be downloaded and submitted electronically through email at wrrb@wrrb.org or submitted via the online form at www.wrrb.org. #WorcPoli

Related Media

  1. See Worcester Job, Income, Population Changes over 30 Yrs.
  2. WRRB on WICN’s Business Beat to discuss Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line
  3. WRRB on Talk of the Commonwealth to discuss Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line