The Boston Planning and Development Agency Board has given the green light to a controversial zoning plan that clears the way for new buildings to tower up to 700 feet in parts of Downtown Boston.

The board voted 4-1 in favor of the plan that now moves forward to the Boston Zoning Commission.

The historic decision for one of the most historic parts of Boston could soon change downtown’s skyline as we know it.

Long-debated rules of what can be built and where in Downtown Crossing and the Financial Districtcrossed a major threshold Thursday, as the Boston Planning and Development Agency board approved a new zoning plan that would allow for towers of up to 700 feet in certain areas and discourage new office development for the next several years in favor of building housing.

A plan that would allow taller towers to be built in downtown Boston has been approved by the city's main planning board.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency board voted Thursday to put a new zoning plan in place downtown despite opposition from several neighborhood groups.

Boston planning officials approved new downtown zoning regulations designed to encourage development of multifamily housing and reinvigorate investment offsetting declines in office occupancy.

Going up: The Boston Planning and Development Agency board is set to vote today on a zoning change that would allow buildings as tall as 700 feet, or roughly 70 stories, in parts of downtown. But the proposal has divided downtown advocacy groups, some of whom have gone so far as to argue it would lead to the "Manhattanization" of the historic neighborhood.

The Boston Planning and Development Agency Board approved a zoning plan that would clear the way for new buildings to tower up to 700 feet over the historic downtown, after hearing objections raised by a number of elected officials.

At 51 floors, the city's newest skyscraper embodies both the neighborhood's potential and its inequality problem.

Mayor Michelle Wu may have trounced her opposition at the polls last week, but she still has a battle to fight over her plan to let developers build massive towers downtown.

Why it matters: Wu's plan to permit 700-foot skyscrapers near Boston's historic core is one of her signature strategies for revitalizing downtown, but organized opposition could undermine what's essentially her post-election honeymoon.

Mayor Michelle Wu is nothing if not an optimist.

As reports show Boston on track for a $1.7 billion budget shortfall over the next five years thanks to office vacancies, the Wu administration wants to build skyscrapers.

Officials are sparring over skyscrapers in downtown Boston.

"It's where height makes some sense," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

"Gambling away the future of downtown Boston is irresponsible," said Rishi Shukla with the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association.

PLAN: Downtown was meant to reimagine the heart of Boston. Instead, your proposed plan reveals a striking lack of creativity, perspective, and vision and will not work.

A recent audit of virtually every sidewalk in Downtown Boston and Chinatown found nearly 150 serious infrastructure issues in the area.

Today marks the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As part of our broader efforts to enhance public safety in and around Downtown Boston, we are stepping up efforts to ensure that our streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, and ramps are safe and accessible for all.

Boston’s skyline could soon be growing upwards, 700 feet to be exact, and some critics say they’re worried that ‘Manhattanization’ could jeopardize its historic preservation.

Proposed zoning changes would allow 700-foot skyscrapers, or about 70 stories, in certain areas of downtown Boston.

The Wu administration delayed a long-awaited vote on new zoning rules for a big swath of downtown

Boston planning officials are out with yet another downtown rezoning proposal that, they say, balances historic preservation with the need to encourage more big housing projects.

A proposal to rezone downtown Boston for increased housing and development is drawing sharp criticism from residents, who warn it could “Manhattanize” the city and erase its historic character.

Critics of a proposed Boston zoning plan are fuming over new regulationsthat they say will “Manhattanize” the city’s historic downtown with shadow-casting 700-foot skyscrapers.

When residents loudly objected to a plan that would allow 500-foot skyscrapers in parts of a proposed downtown planning zone, Mayor Michelle Wu listened. Then the mayor came back with a plan to allow 700-foot skyscrapers.

When it comes to development, Boston has a reputation as a city that can’t get out of its own way.