Wu's skyscraper plan sparks political fight downtown

Between the lines: Wu just beat preliminary challenger Josh Kraft so soundly across almost all of the city, it's hard not to interpret her win as a mandate for her whole second-term agenda.

Catch up quick: Wu wants to spend some of her fresh second-term political capital passing new zoning rules for downtown.

• Building height limits would reach 700 feet in the Financial District and be capped at 155 feet nearer to Boston Common.

Driving the news: The Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association has mobilized a coalition of residents and businesses against what they're calling the "Manhattanization" of downtown.

• The push will come to a head on Thursday when a final vote on Wu's plan is before the Boston Planning and Development Agency.

There have been escalating tensions between the Wu administration and community stakeholders, who say they aren't being listened to by City Hall.

• Residents accuse planning chief Kairos Shen of abandoning the collaborative process Wu promised.
• An August meeting between Wu and opponents didn't resolve much.
• A letter from the coalition describes Wu's plan as "destructive" and lacking "creativity, perspective and vision."

Bottom line: The downtown zoning battle is the first test of Wu's new super-mandate at City Hall.

• How much compromise she offers opponents could be an early sign of how Wu will balance developer interests and historic preservation advocates in her second term.