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.

Downtown Boston could see a lot more skyscrapers if new zoning guidelines for the region’s core business district are approved.

The Boston Planning Department on Thursday unveiled what it hopes is the final iteration of a long-awaited downtown zoning plan, which outlines what can be built, and where, in core of the city.

The Boston Planning Department unveiled new downtown zoning guidelines Thursday that would permit skyscrapers up to 700 feet tall in the Financial District.

Latest zoning proposal once again disregards community feedback and now calls for 700-foot towers in historic area of Downtown Boston

After the City of Boston Planning Department announced an updated draft of its new zoning amendments Jan. 15, Boston residents and organizations urged for an extended public comment period and voiced concerns.

Amid furor among many downtown residents, Boston officials will delay a zoning proposal that would allow for 500-foot skyscrapers along Washington Street in Downtown Crossing.

The move is the latest twist in a years-long process to rezone the neighborhood at the core of downtown, and one that crystallizes the clashing political and practical realities of Mayor Michelle Wu’s promises to both honor community-led planning and build enough to tackle Boston’s massive housing shortage.

Downtown Boston residents upbraided city officials on Wednesday over a zoning proposal that would allow more high-rises along Washington Street, with many arguing against new towers in that part of the neighborhood and accusing the city of rushing the measure toward approval.