Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.
Don’t miss the second event in MAPC’s MetroCommon speaker series! Join us for a riveting keynote by the transportation thinker David Zipper on the interplay between urban and transportation policy and new mobility technologies, followed by an interactive panel discussion with local transportation planners, advocates, and administrators.
David Zipper is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where he focuses on the interplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies. David advises numerous startups and urban officials about the future of cities and mobility. His writing about urban innovation has been published in The Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, and Fast Company. Learn more on his website, www.davidzipper.com.
Registration and networking will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the speaking portion of the event will begin at 6 p.m. Light appetizers will be served.
Stay tuned — we’ll announce our panelists soon!
Help your community be part of MetroCommon 2050, Greater Boston’s next regional plan!
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is now accepting applications for the MetroCommon 2050 Outreach Mini-Grant Program. We will be accepting applications and awarding mini-grants on a rolling basis until December 2020 for outreach projects to be completed between now and Spring 2021.
The purpose of the MetroCommon 2050 mini-grants is to fund community partners to help us with outreach, events, and collecting input in harder-to-reach communities. Voices of people from those communities will be crucial in developing the plan content and shaping the future of our region. We want to hear from the region, and we are providing resources to those who will help us reach underserved populations.
MetroCommon 2050 is Greater Boston’s next regional plan, and the process of developing it is being led by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). MAPC is regional planning agency that serves the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston.
Learn more about the mini-grants here!
MAPC will host informational sessions and webinars from time to time to answer any questions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate.
Upcoming webinars:
Click the date to access the webinar
Friday, August 30 – 11 a.m. – noon
Thursday, September 26 – 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, October 25 – 11 a.m. – noon
Friday, December 13 – 11 a.m. – noon
What is spatial justice, and how can cities and towns use this framework to rethink how their built environment supports people’s rights to be, thrive, express and connect? What role can artists and public art play in helping us imagine and shape more inclusive, thriving public spaces throughout Greater Boston? Join a lively discussion among artists, activists, and urbanists who are leading the conversation about spatial justice in our region today.
How can public-making—the collective creation and activation of public spaces for interaction and belonging—be a radical, joyful tool for spatial justice? Join artists, activists, and community leaders to discuss how public-making can create opportunities for interaction, laughter, dialogue, and surprise, and explore real-life examples of public-making that you can bring to your community.
Not all public spaces are created equal. Transformative planning and urban design begins with addressing historic and current experiences of racism and exclusion. But what does that mean in practice? Join the conversation with creative community leaders about what it means to design for spatial justice. We’ll explore how skate parks, sidewalk kitchens, and “dance courts” can change how public space is used, who feels welcome in it, and how inclusive creative placemaking can help lead the way toward lasting spatial justice.
Dr. Linda Shi, Assistant Professor at Cornell University, will be sharing her research on the vulnerability of municipal budgets in the Boston metropolitan area to climate change, as well as recommendations for how to develop in ways that promote equity, resilience, and fiscal responsibility. There will be time for questions from participants.
MAPC is offering grants of up to $5,000 for community organizations to participate and collaborate in the regional heat preparedness planning process.
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.
As cities and towns experience more frequent and intense weather events due to climate change, the arts offer opportunities to support climate resilience efforts. Collaborations with artists and creatives can enhance resilience, transform infrastructure, and increase community awareness of preparedness practices and climate risks.
Please join us for a conversation with Sarah Rawbottam, Creative Producer at Arts House in Melbourne, Australia; and Erin Genia, former Boston Artist-in-Residence. They’ll discuss the role of the artist in addressing climate change and building resilience, their experiences building resilience through art, and their advice for working with artists.
You’ll also learn more about “Cool it with Art,” MAPC’s upcoming how-to guide for tackling rising temperatures with art in Massachusetts.