If neighboring cities and towns want control over Boston's development, then they should consider annexation.
It's not about "control," it's about the right to have an opinion about the city everybody here identifies with. Boston wouldn't survive without all the people from the neighboring cities and towns. From what I recall (before covid at least) its daytime population would more than double during the workday. I was part of that daytime population for 4 years, spending my money 5 times a week in Boston restaurants, probably 3 times a week in the bars (I was in my 20's), shopping in the stores, and of course using the monthly mbta pass. I have contributed plenty to this city, monetarily, and not just with my time and effort to promote the place. I root for the Boston teams. I have no less than 4 shirts with the Boston skyline emblazoned directly on them. My identity is Boston, through and through.
Also, as mentioned above, what happens in Boston does affect the rest of the metro. Prices around here are sky high because of the proximity to Boston. If Boston stopped building housing altogether it would send rents for me, a couple of towns away, right through the roof. There are lots of things that can happen in Boston which affect the people around the city, and not just within the city. It's called "The Hub" for a reason and literally 5.5 states identify with it as the major city in the region.
From a development perspective:
1. Is Boston a major city? - Yes, in fact Boston ranks among the Top 25 globally in tons of different metrics, and really near the top of the total heap for healthcare, education, and now biotech, while also being a major player financially. It's no-doubt a global powerhouse of a city.
2. Is there demand to keep building? - Yes, obviously there is a ton of demand which has led to nonstop construction both within Boston proper and in the neighboring cities.
3. Are there plenty of plots that can go tall? - No, not really. You can certainly count on your fingers and toes the amount of parcels that could possibly break, say, 600'. They're few and far between.
4. Are there plenty of plots that can handle the standard 10 story lab or 20 story residential? - Yes, there are literally hundreds within and immediately surrounding the city limits, maybe even in the thousands when you really get down to it.
So when something that could be proposed as part of point 4 gets proposed on one of the few and far between plots of point 3, I am going to make my voice heard as loudly as I can. I am just 1 person, with 1 opinion, who will do my best to convince others but that's the extent of my capacity. As somebody passionate about this, I make my best case to influence any decisions, and then the chips fall as they fall. If you want to tell me that I don't deserve to have a voice in the freest country in the world, then I will tell you that I don't think you deserve to live in this country. Silencing others is literally the single most unamerican thing you can do and is the antithesis of all that the good ole' USA stands for. KMP forgot about this because of her time spent in a country that doesn't have the same level of freedom of speech. You don't have to agree with me. You can literally oppose any of my viewpoints and make your own case. What you can't do, not here, not ever, is demand my silence.