The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • P1

Globe North THE BOSTON GLOBE THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 BOSTONGLOBE.COMNORTH Study cites housing needs for region's future Young adults called key to potential growth Boston's population could shoot from 617,000 in 2010 to more than Population trends Communities north of Boston projected to grow the most and least between 2010 and 2030. 700,000 in 2030, with nearby urban areas also expecting growth. In the Globe North area, Everett, Revere, Somerville, Methuen, and By Matt Carroll GLOBE STAFF Greater Boston could stagnate and become a far less vibrant area over the next few decades, choked by restrictive housing policies that could drive away restless young people and leave behind a rapidly aging population. Or it could boom, driven by a surge of young adults drawn by affordable housing and the appeal of urban areas that offer exciting cultural and entertainment options, top-notch colleges, and smart transit choices. These competing visions were laid out in a report released this month by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Which scenario plays out, planners say, depends on housing and transportation decisions that are being debated in many cities and towns right now. "If we don't have the housing we need, we can't attract the people we need, and it discourages employers from moving to the region," said Marc Draisen, the council's executive director. If there is strong growth, a large number of communities would see their population expand, some substantially, according to the report. TOP 3 2010 2030 Pet. change Everett EZEI Revere EIEH Somerville 75,754 94,433 BOTTOM 3 Nahant 3,410 3,111 Wenham 4,875 4,446 EES Boxford 7,965 7,183 percent by the year 2030, according to the report.

But 14 communities are projected to lose residents, including Boxford, Wenham, Nahant, Newbury, and Topsfield. The region will see strong growth if it can build enough housing, particularly apartments and condos in urban areas and town centers, if it can attract and retain more young people, and if the trend toward urban liv-30NOMAPC, Page 6 SOURCE: MAPC EXPANDING HORIZONS Through nontraditional learning techniques, Winchester uses global studies with young students, preparing them to become 'international citizens' BEVERLY Garage now set to open in June Tainted soil, weather woes prompt delay By Steven A. Rosenberg GLOBE STAFF A late groundbreaking, an unexpected discovery of hazardous waste, and bitter cold temperatures have delayed the construction of the new $34.1 million MBTA parking garage in Beverly. administrators say the garage will open this June, at least five months later than planned. In contrast, the MBTA's other major garage project on the North Shore, a $44.5 million, 715-car parking facility in Salem, is on schedule and will open this October, according to MBTA project manager George Doherty Jr.

Doherty said he expects the new four-story Beverly garage to stay within budget, even with the delay. The projects, which took decades to fund, are part of the MBTA's effort to add more parking spaces for commuters at some of its busiest rail stations. Work at Beverly's new station, which will accommodate 500 cars and have a covered pedestrian walkway to the train platform at the Beverly Depot, was supposed to begin in November 2012 but was delayed for administrative reasons until Feb- PHOTOS BY JESSICA RINALDI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Students at Winchester's Acera School study the issues of their assigned countries to prepare for this weekend's Model UN Conference. 'They should have thought about it first and planned properly instead of making people wait for JOEL STARBIRD, commuter Young delegates to compete in model UN forum By Taryn Plumb GLOBE CORRESPONDENT Huddled in groups in a large room with numerous nooks and cubbies, delegates of several countries with varying borders and sensibilities brooded over heady topics facing the 21st century world. A representative of Japan contemplated the troubling issue of human trafficking; an agent of South Africa considered the growing concerns in North Korea and the 20-plus-year civil strife in ruary2013.

"The delay had to do with the processing of paperwork for funding, as well as we went through a transition of a new general manager," said Doherty, referring to the T's current general manager, Beverly Scott, who took office in mid-December of 2012. Doherty also said the discovery and eventual disposal of contaminated soil slowed the project by a month, and this winter's cold and snow brought further delays. "A lot of the days it's too cold to pour the concrete," said Doherty. "We've lost production because the workers cannot work as fast in the cold weather." With the project close to 75 percent finished and the garage's top deck expected to be completed soon, electricians, plumbers, and other subcontractors are working on the lower floors. To construct the facility, four buildings were torn down, and the T's old parking lot which held 100 cars was closed, with the site included in the garage project.

That led commuters to arrive earlier each morning to look for the few legal spots in the area. Some commuters park as far as a MBTA, Page 6 In snapshots, a window on their lives By Taryn Plumb GLOBE CORRESPONDENT Trying to stay whisper-quiet, the two kindergartners sat on the floor of their school library, flipping through hardcover picture books of trucks and firefighters that filled their laps. A few feet away, fifth-grader Patrick Fortin framed them in the view-finder of a point-and-click camera, a neatly stacked bookshelf serving as a backdrop. "Say cheese!" he prompted. "Cheese!" It was a simple, everyday moment in their everyday school lives.

Which was exactly what they set out to capture. Students at Ambrose Elementary School are participants in a global project facilitated by the Winchester-based nonprofit, Live Learn Act. "Show me your school" encourages students around the world to document their day-to-day activities from lunch to free time to transportation and share it with other children through the universal language of photography. "It's good to know what kids in other countries are doing," Fortin said on a recent morning as he snapped photos of Jeremiah McCarthy and P.J. Maher in Ambrose's library.

"It's our only way to stay in touch." Live Learn Act launched the proj-LIVE, Page 5 Somalia; an ambassador of Sudan investigated his country's illegal weapons training and paramilitary groups. This wasn't a formal assembly of the United Nations with Winners of model UN its 193 member events are awarded states even though gavels, those gathered here spoke authoritatively and in impassioned detail. These delegates were all under age 13. All students at the Acera School in Winchester, they study the UN's policies, procedures, and deliberations as part of their regular curriculum. On Saturday and Sunday, they will get the opportunity to display their knowledge of civics, diplomacy, and debate at the Boston University Academy Model UN Conference.

"It's a nice window into what other countries think," said Max Paul, a well-spoken and energetic Medford 12-year-old who will represent Sudan at the event. ACERA, Page 5 YOUR TOWN For more local coverage, go to High School Hockey Brian Seabury's BeverlyDanvers co-op girls practice with Winchester girls, coached by his brother Craig. Page 4 PHOTOS BY WENDY MAEDAGLOBE STAFF Olivia Valcourt photographs (from left) Lila Griffin, Mya Salyards, Mia Legere, and Isabella Greene, while Brady (bottom photo, left) and Byan Martin play soccer..