Vacant Storefront Map
Objectives, Data Included, and Next Steps

Newton’s Economic Development team has released its first citywide map of vacant storefronts. The purpose of this initiative is to identify vacant commercial spaces and explore opportunities to activate them, helping to strengthen the vitality of Newton’s village centers.

For this project, a vacant storefront is defined as a high-visibility, ground-level commercial space intended for public-facing business activity that is not currently occupied by an operating business. The space may or may not be actively listed for lease. The map includes storefronts that appeared vacant at the time the data was collected, even if the space was leased or undergoing permitting. The map also includes properties that may require substantial investment or redevelopment to become viable for occupancy.

Map data was compiled using publicly available information from commercial real estate platforms such as LoopNet and Crexi, along with data maintained by the City of Newton’s Assessing Department, Economic Development team, and the City Clerk’s Office. The map is for informational purposes only and is intended as a planning and economic development tool. The provided information is not a comprehensive or real-time inventory of all available commercial space in Newton. The data was current as of February 28, 2026 and will be updated periodically.

The next phase of this effort is to develop a complete inventory of storefronts citywide and by village. This will allow the City to track vacancy rates over time, identify trends, and compare Newton’s performance with peer communities.

The Vacant Storefront Map was developed in collaboration with Artemis Huang and Bryanna Ruiz, two graduate students from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, who were interns with the city’s Economic Development team in January 2026.

THE CITY OF NEWTON'S MAPS AND ASSOCIATED DATA ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND AS TO THE CONTENT, SEQUENCE, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY OF THE DATABASE INFORMATION. THE CITY OF NEWTON SHALL ASSUME NO LIABILITY FOR:

1. ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INACCURACIES IN THE INFORMATION PROVIDED REGARDLESS OF HOW CAUSED; OR
2. ANY DECISION MADE OR ACTION TAKEN OR NOT TAKEN IN RELIANCE UPON ANY INFORMATION OR DATA FURNISHED HEREUNDER.