Want to explore some fun places on a weekend? Some destinations might collectively come to mind. Downtown Northampton, the North End of Boston, Newburyport on the Massachusetts coast and Portland, Maine, to name a few, are all examples of happening places that follow the four-part recipe urban theorist Jane Jacobs described for building vibrant neighborhoods.

WORCESTER — The affordable housing crisis plaguing many areas of the country as incomes fail to keep up with the cost of housing has not bypassed New England’s second largest city.

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau serves the public interest of Greater Worcester by conducting independent research and analysis of public policy issues to promote informed public debate and decision-making.