Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.
While there are several criteria for how the Federal government determines grant recipients, the creation of good jobs through projects with commitments to strong labor standards and practices is key. Registered apprenticeships, joint labor-management training programs, certified payroll and the support of local labor organizations can help secure federal infrastructure funding for your projects, all while creating good jobs in your community.
By all indications, apprenticeship will need to greatly expand to meet the demands of Massachusetts’ booming construction industry— the federal government has created incentives in their infrastructure funding to encourage that growth.
Join us for an important conversation co-hosted by MAPC and the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions to learn more about the tools and resources available to your municipality to aide you in your federal application process.
The panel will include:
- Jim Brewer, Director of Government Affairs, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)
- Frank Callahan, President, Massachusetts Building Trades Unions
- Heath W. Fahle, Assistant Secretary for Federal Funds, Executive Office for Administration and Finance
- Seth Lattrell, Port Authority Deputy/Planner for Salem
Moderated by Angela Brown, Chief of Economic Development, MAPC
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Clean Energy Department is hosting a webinar on equitable community engagement for its Equity in Clean Energy webinar series. This event will provide an introduction to equitable community engagement in planning, followed by brief introductions from each of our guest speakers and the community engagement work they do in their communities. We will be joined by:
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- Niri Kumar, Natick Resident
- Marlees Owayda, Cambridge Community Engagement Manager
- Lindsay Diaz, Cambridge Community Engagement Team Co-Leader
- Gail Latimore, Executive Director, CSNDC – Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Questions? Please contact:
Francelis Morillo Suarez
fmorillosuarez@mapc.org
Melrose, Malden, and Medford worked with the MAPC to collaboratively develop sustainable and resilient building design guidelines for residential and mixed-use developments and retrofits. These voluntary guidelines will help these communities encourage developers to build more more affordable housing that is energy-efficient and climate-resilient.
Join us for an interactive webinar on April 26 at 12:00 p.m. to learn about the guidelines and hear from the communities about how they plan to use them to shape green, affordable development.
Launched by the Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the Neighborhood Emergency Housing Support Program provided funding to community-based organizations (CBOs) with cultural and linguistic competency to outreach to residents about available housing stability resources. Additional funding support for the program was provided by The Boston Foundation (TBF) and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
MAPC analyzed the effectiveness of emergency rental relief and the role CBOs play in making residents aware of resources.
Attend this webinar to hear from CHAPA, TBF, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, MAPC, and CBO representatives about this program and recommendations forward.
Register here!
Hosted by the Eastern Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition, this informative webinar will feature multiple presentations related to 3A-MBTA communities. One of the featured speakers will be from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), who will provide valuable insights into the topic. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session and engage in meaningful dialogue.
Register now to secure your spot!
Register here.
The Eastern Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition (EMHCC) is a partnership between the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and Preservation Massachusetts that started in 2023. Learn more here.
The Town of Belmont MBTA Communities Advisory Committee invites you to a hybrid public forum to get your input on the future of multifamily housing in Belmont.
Whether you will be joining us in person at the Beech Street Center or virtually via Zoom, please register through this page so we know how many people to expect.
What to Expect at the Forum:
Members of the Advisory Committee, staff from the Town of Belmont, and planners from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council will present information about how Belmont is planning to comply with the Multifamily Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities law (often called “Section 3A”). They will also ask for your ideas on where you think that multifamily housing should go in Belmont and what it should look like.
In-Person Location:
Beech Street Center, 266 Beech Street, Belmont On-site parking is available, and the Center is 0.3 miles from the intersection of Trapelo Road and Beech Street on MBTA Bus Route 73. Registration is not required to attend in person, though it is preferred.
Zoom Option:
Everyone who registers will receive a link to the Zoom meeting, even if you plan to attend in person.
Please join us for this webinar to learn more about a new MAPC Section 3A decision-making support tool!
Background
In 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature added a new section to the state’s Zoning Act (MGL Chapter 40A) — MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement (Section 3A) — that requires each municipality in the MBTA district to zone for by-right multifamily housing near transit stations or smart growth locations.
MAPC has developed an interactive MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement (Section 3A) District Suitability Analysis Tool to help municipalities within the MAPC region identify locations for 3A zoning districts that also advance regional and local goals.
This Webinar
MAPC staff will provide an overview of the tool’s use and showcase how it may be applied, in tandem with stakeholder-driven processes, to facilitate conversations around areas suitable for new housing production.
Register to join us for this event
Questions? Please contact:
Emma Battaglia (ebattaglia@mapc.org)
In collaboration with MAPC’s Public Health Department, the Equitable Engagement with Community Liaisons webinar will explore how cities are using community-led planning to broaden and deepen engagement with residents. You will hear about projects in three Massachusetts cities leading with equitable community engagement:
- Shawn Luz, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Framingham
- Emily Sullivan, Climate Change Program Manager, City of Somerville
- Richard Harding, Manager, BIPOC Men’s Health and Community Engagement Cambridge Public Health Department
EPA Region 1 continues to work on the development of a permit referred to as an “RDA Permit” – that will regulate stormwater run-off in the Charles, Mystic and Neponset River Watersheds.
In this webinar, the EPA will discuss the background and current development of the RDA permit, the types of actions that the permit will require, and will answer questions. The EPA is particularly interested in hearing from municipalities about how this permit can best be implemented to meet local as well as federal clean water goals.
For those unable to attend the presentation, there will be a chance after the draft permit is issued later this year, to provide comments to the EPA.
Join this webinar hosted by the Eastern Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition (EMHCC) to learn how city planners, historical commissions, and historians work together to tell richer and more varied stories about our communities, focusing on the importance and methods of capturing diverse historical narratives.
Learn more about the work of the EMHCC here.