We’re postponing… but! In response to the Massachusetts’s Governor’s guidance in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, we’re postponing this event. In the meantime, however, we’re still thinking about these important issues, and know you are, too. We invite you to sign up here to receive occasional emails on this and related topics. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to being in touch!

What can municipal staff working in the areas of planning, open space and recreation, and public arts do to address untold histories, engage with controversy, and leverage the power of public art and public memory in these discussions?

Join the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and New England Foundation for the Arts for a professional development workshop designed for municipal staff on new approaches to public memory and public art in Greater Boston.

In this workshop, you’ll learn about best practices for facilitating dialogue about controversial monuments and memorials in your community, and about inspiring examples of public art and public history projects that are transforming public memories of places around the country. You will also engage in small group discussions where you’ll have an opportunity to learn about lesser-known historic and cultural stories in our region and how those stories and experiences can be actively engaged in place-based planning and programming related to public art, creative placemaking/placekeeping initiatives, and more.

Facilitators and Speakers: To be announced

This event is part of a series organized by the MAPC’s Arts and Culture Department and NEFA’s Public Art Department in conjunction with MAPC’s MetroCommon 2050 planning process. This unique, cross-sector initiative brings together artists and creators, planners, and policymakers to discuss the evolving relationship among public art, public memory, and public policy and to explore how artists can envision and shape more inclusive, thriving spaces and communities in Greater Boston.

COVID-19-related unemployment could cause a massive housing crisis in Massachusetts. 468,000 Massachusetts residents filed unemployment claims in the first three weeks of the COVID crisis.

Who has been laid off? How many are now at risk of eviction or foreclosure? Will CARES Act assistance help? What about those who don’t qualify for federal aid? Join MAPC staff for a virtual discussion of our research brief, “The COVID-19 Layoff Housing Gap.”

On April 21, MAPC is releasing an update to “The COVID-19 Layoff Housing Gap” with the latest unemployment data.

At this webinar on April 22, MAPC Data Services Director Tim Reardon and Socioeconomic Analyst II Sarah Philbrick will discuss the updated data–and what it means for workers, municipalities, and the Commonwealth.

Click here to register for the webinar via zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqdOmqpz0qEtXLrrrw289Pw-VbcfxbAM_z

Summer temperatures in the Northeast are increasing, along with extreme heat days and heat waves. At “From Snow Days to Heat Waves,” learn about the intersections of climate change, heat, and health in the Greater Boston area.

Speakers will highlight projects across the Greater Boston area addressing the issues of rising and extreme temperatures, public health, equity, and climate change via short presentations and a panel discussion. A full list of speakers will be announced soon.

Extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather events in the United States, and can exacerbate existing health conditions. And the effects aren’t experienced equally: the impacts of extreme heat are greater in low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods, where historic disinvestment has resulted in less access to green space, fewer street trees, and inadequate housing and cooling infrastructure. These impacts will likely be intensified as climate change causes temperatures to increase and humidity to rise.

This event is co-hosted by the Museum of Science, Boston; Mystic River Watershed Association; and Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The Metropolitan Mayors Coalition Climate Taskforce and Resilient Mystic Collaborative are co-sponsors.

The program is made possible with generous support from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program.

Join to hear Jacqueline Patterson, Director of Environmental and Climate Justice Program at the NAACP, discuss the intersection of climate resiliency and racial justice.

Join the MAPC Economic Development Team for this webinar to learn more about three funding opportunities available now through the Commonwealth.

The presentation will provide insight into how MAPC can support your municipality to prepare and apply for grants available through the Commonwealth.

• Julie Pierce, Economic Development Director, Town of Acton
• Patrick Shannon, Community One Stop Coordinator, Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development. (EOED)

Register to join us for this webinar

We will discuss the following grant opportunities:

• EEA Planning Assistance Grants – Coming in April, due in May
• Community One Stop for Growth – Now open, due June 5th
• Community Compact Cabinet Best Practices Program – coming in August, due on a rolling basis until all funds run out

Questions? Please contact Gurdeep Kaur (gkaur@mapc.org)

Join your fellow community leaders and members for this May meeting that will be focused on community engagement.

Read the Agenda

Note: this is an in-person meeting with the option to also dial into the meeting via Zoom if needed. Please see the agenda for more information.

Questions? Please contact Francelis Morillo Suarez (FMorilloSuarez@mapc.org).