Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with with the BRA’s Michael O’Shea, Susan Elsbree, Daniel Tewfik, and Chloe Ryan at their City Hall offices for a beta preview of their new website, set for a “soft” launch next week.

The project relied heavily on the work of Kairos Shen, who was not in attendance.

Thanks to Charlestown-based Boston Interactive, the BRA has constructed a new site that is informative, easy to use, and should translate well with Boston’s young professional and college demographics that continue to grow.

The homepage displays a map of Boston’s neighborhoods that users can click on for development news and information. Users will be a able to search for location or parcel information, as well. The interactive map will include both satellite and historic view options.

There will be a completely redesigned calendar that will provide date, time, location and event information. According to BRA analytics, the calendar was one of the highest traffic areas on the old site. With that in mind, the goal was to create a more user-friendly display. Users will also have the option to filter calendar events by neighborhood and meeting type.

This vertical will offer “At a Glance” looks for each neighborhood in the city. From there, users can search for area-specific projects, places available for lease, and news regarding any given neighborhood.

The BRA’s new “Project” vertical was seemingly designed for reporters, providing project descriptions, including its current phase of development. So, in the future, if a BRA member responds less than enthusiastically to a question pertaining to the size of a proposed building, don’t be surprised. This information has already been presented. This information can also be shared on social media and as an attachment over email.

There is an entire “Document Center” that will allow you view and download PDF’s of project filings, examine any regulations, and, (in the near future) view a 3D model of the project the user is interested in.

Planning has now become more transparent than ever before. The BRA will provide users with the content they need to know about how the agency operates and what the vision for Boston’s neighborhoods looks like.

As I mentioned before, this will be a “soft” release. There will still be some “kinks” that will need to be worked out, such as the lack of 3D images of projects. These will be uploaded to the site soon. Additionally, BRA board meeting footage, which can be watched online, has yet to be cut. Currently, users trying to scroll to a specific time in a video have to do so  tediously and precisely. In the near future, videos will be cut to allow users to jump instantly to exact moments during the board meeting.

The BRA expects that the website will not only inform users, but also advance the discussion. Users will have the ability to share development information on Twitter and Facebook,  and attached within an email.  This, the BRA feels, will decrease the volume of inquiry request fielded by the agency on a given day as the flow of information spreads. The website’s search bar has been SEO optimized through Google. And a “Feedback” tab will be attached to every page.