On Thursday, the Boston Planning & Development Agency board approved an overhaul of zoning regulations that aims to encourage more residential development in the city’s commercial core.

More than six years in the making, the new rules set new building height limits and streamline zoning requirements for small businesses. They also preserve state shadow protections for the Boston Common and Public Garden.

Critics fear the changes will bring taller towers and darker parks, drawing comparisons to Manhattan. Meanwhile, supporters say that the new zoning is crucial to reviving a downtown still struggling with post-pandemic foot traffic and underused office space.

“To preserve downtown’s character and function for our city and the New England region, it must also be allowed and encouraged t

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