A Message from the Editor of BostonomiX

I hope that you've heard about our launch of BostonomiX, a new editorial initiative from the WBUR newsroom to cover all aspects of our innovation-driven economy. The debut of BostonomiX coincides with "Driving Us Crazy," a special, week-long series of enterprise reports and on-air segments examining the Boston area's worsening traffic problems and impacts on us. Boston is in the midst of a transformation.

Fueled by a fast growing knowledge-based economy, the metropolitan area around Boston is experiencing disruptive change that affects nearly every sector of life in and around this city. Business districts and high-rise neighborhoods — each have emerged in Kendall Square and the South Boston Seaport — and more development and construction is on its way spread out over the rest of Boston and surrounding communities.

From venture capital to startup firms, thousands of jobs are being created to turn ideas into products and services and scaled up into businesses for the rest of the nation and world. Researchers at universities, hospitals and biotech firms are searching for cures to scores of problems that affect every corner of our world. At the same time, Boston has become the city with the highest rates of income inequality in the country.

Perhaps because of this new economy, the gulf between rich and poor is growing. Meanwhile, increased congestion on area roads, coastal erosion and rising sea levels threaten future prosperity and even survival. BostonomiX is how we intend to chronicle this important chapter in Boston’s long and storied history. We see this as both an important opportunity and a responsibility.

WBUR is uniquely positioned to capture this dynamic landscape through thoughtful and enterprising journalism, creative and high-quality storytelling delivered in multiple platforms that allows our community to hear, read and see these important topics, people, organizations and communities. We welcome your suggestions and feedback to our work.

Richard Chacón is the executive director of news content for WBUR.