In 2020, cities and towns throughout Greater Boston re-imagined their public spaces, converting streets and sidewalks into spaces that would promote active transportation, social distancing, outdoor dining, multimodal transit, and safe exercise.

Now, in partnership with MassDOT and the Solomon Foundation, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council is inviting cities and towns to look back at their recently-completed shared streets projects.

Please join us next Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. for a panel discussion and Q&A on Shared Streets. Municipal representatives will reflect on the complex projects they undertook, share lessons learned, and look forward to what’s next.

PANELISTS INCLUDE:

• Kate Fichter (moderator): Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination, MassDOT
• Wayne Feiden, FAICP: Director Planning & Sustainability, Northampton
• Katrina O’Leary: Town Planner, Middleton
• Police Chief Tom Galvin, Berlin
• Ben Cares: Senior Planner and Project Manager, Chelsea

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcscOmsqT8pHNcSGhLomujxws6wdxAfRJk6

MAPC and Groundwork USA invite municipal and agency staff, community organizations and members, and renewable energy developers to join a virtual workshop on the potential of Brownfields to Brightfields (B2B) to advance equitable community development. B2B projects repurpose brownfields sites – land with known or potential hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants – with solar energy installations on ground-mounted arrays, building rooftops, or canopy structures. 

This workshop will share findings on models for B2B projects that advance equity and community benefits, highlighting real-world examples, challenges, and opportunities. Participants will learn about a new mapping tool for identifying potential B2B sites in Massachusetts and have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for future B2B project partnerships. 

Download Agenda

This project was made possible with support from EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. The event is free and preregistration is required. Register here and contact Julie Curti (jcurti@mapc.org) or Adi Nochur (adi@groundworkusa.org) with any questions.

Join the Mass. Association of Regional Planning Agencies and Division of Local Services to hear from special guests Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, the Governor’s former Chief of Staff, Steve Kadish, as well as Secretaries Tesler, Acosta, Kennealy and Card about how to make the most of unprecedented infrastructure modernization resources and build a firm foundation for our Commonwealth’s future. Click here to register.

“Building the Foundation for our Future: Equitable Infrastructure Modernization in Massachusetts” will be hosted at College of the Holy Cross on Thursday, September 29, 2022.

After remarks from the Governor and Lt. Governor, we’ll welcome to the stage Secretaries Tesler, Acosta, Kennealy and Card to talk about the potential available funding in each of their fields, and how communities can work with the Commonwealth to make the most of this funding, followed by a brief audience Q&A.

Afternoon workshops led by senior administration officials and local leaders from across the Commonwealth provide the chance, among other things, to dive deeper into these funding opportunities, think through the challenges facing your community, and hear from other communities looking to work through those same challenges.

Finally, you’ll hear from former Baker Chief of Staff and Harvard Taubman Center Senior Fellow Steve Kadish about some of the most promising strategies for working with community members and stakeholders to make the local change that our communities need.

Workshop topics include:

• Building the Municipal Workforce Pipeline: Challenges and Opportunities
• Early Education Reimagined: Funding Reform and Municipal Implications
• Broadening Broadband: Expanding Access to High-Speed Internet
• Transportation Infrastructure and Recovery: Stimulating Local Economies with Infrastructure Improvements

For more information on the South West Advisory Planning Committee (SWAP) Legislative Breakfast, please contact Subregional Coordinator, Brian Luther (bluther@mapc.org). 

For more information, please reach out to the MWRC Subregional Coordinator:
Leah Robins
lrobins@mapc.org 

Learn more about the MetroWest Regional Collaborative here.