Mayoralty of Marty Walsh

Marty Walsh served as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from 2015 through 2021.

Walsh was regarded as friendly towards real estate developers, and the city experienced a building boom during his mayoralty. In 2021, Walsh successfully added to the city's zoning code policies inspired by the federal affirmatively furthering fair housing policy. While Walsh supported Boston's bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, he ultimately reneged on his commitment to signing the Host City Contract's financial guarantee which contributed to the collapse of the bid. In 2016, Walsh's administration and General Electric struck a deal that saw corporation to move its headquarters to Boston. Walsh supported the passage an ordinance in the city council which regulated short-term rental of housing units, which he signed into law in 2018.

As mayor, Walsh successfully negotiated for a 40-minute school day extension in Boston Public Schools. However, his overall handling of the city's schools has been assessed as poor. Walsh served on the leadership of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. During much of Walsh's mayoralty, Boston struggled with homelessness at Mass and Cass, a matter that was unresolved at the time Walsh departed from office. In 2014, Walsh signed the Boston Trust Act, a so-called "sanctuary city" ordinance, into law. Amid the first Trump administration's federal hostility towards such policies, Walsh voiced his continued support for the city remaining a sanctuary city. In 2015, Walsh supported the passage of a city ordinance to provide municipal employees with paid parental leave, which was passed and signed into law by Walsh. At the end of his tenure, Walsh dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts on Boston.