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Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.

Apr
1
Thu
2021
Webinar: Federal Economic Development Funding Opportunities
Apr 1 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Looking to fund economic recovery and development in your city or town?

The Economic Development Administration offers multiple funding opportunities to help local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations serve economically-distressed areas.

MAPC helps support the funding process in our region and is available to assist with applications. At this information session, learn about the various grants available, find out how to apply, and hear from EDA grant recipients about their recent projects. There will time for Q&A.

We especially encourage community colleges, CDCs, and arts organizations to attend!

Funded projects could include planning and implementation projects that focus on economic development strategies, public facilities and infrastructure, and economic recovery. Successful applications must match MAPC’s and EDA’s funding priorities.

May
4
Tue
2021
Living Together: MetroCommon 2050 Short Film Screening @ Zoom
May 4 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Join us for the premiere of “Living Together,” an original short film by Mariona Lloretta. It’s the stories of five Greater Boston residents, their lived experience, and their hope for the place we all call home.

Sep
9
Thu
2021
Webinar: Economic Development ARPA Funding & Programs @ Zoom
Sep 9 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Municipal Webinar

Economic Development Administration American rescue plan act programs and funding

Thursday, September 9| Noon – 1 p.m.

The Economic Development Administration received $3 billion in supplemental funding to assist communities in their economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

EDA is making funding available through six innovative “challenges.” This webinar will review those funding categories and provide guidance about eligible projects, submitting applications, and developing partnerships.

Read more about EDA’s ARPA funding and the six challenges here.

After you register for this webinar, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Sep
15
Wed
2021
Webinar: How Municipalities Can Make Meaningful Investments with ARPA Dollars @ Zoom
Sep 15 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Municipal Webinar

How Municipalities can make meaningful investments with ARPA dollars

Wednesday, September 15| 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Massachusetts cities and towns have received $3.4 billion dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. These dollars present an opportunity to make critical investments in communities and especially those that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This federal funding can help set the stage for an equitable and resilient recovery.

Join us for a discussion with Doug Howgate from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation on how cities and towns can make these strategic investments for a more prosperous and equitable region.

Speakers include:

  • Lizzi Weyant, Director of Government Affairs, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
  • Doug Howgate, Executive Vice President, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Feb
17
Thu
2022
Webinar: ARPA Final Rule @ Zoom
Feb 17 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
On January 6, 2022, the U.S. Treasury released the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Final Rule covering state and local recovery funding. The final rule creates greater flexibility, simplicity, and clarity so state and local governments can respond to the pandemic and make transformative investments.
Join MAPC and the Executive Office of Administration & Finance for a briefing on the final rule.
Sep
20
Wed
2023
For Our Mother, For Our Children: Introduction to Indigenous Worldviews on Climate Resilience
Sep 20 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this session serves as an introduction to indigenous kinship systems and how it informs how Tribal Nations and Peoples perceive climate health and how it informs the approach to solutions. Guest speaker: Ryann Monteiro.

Register Here

Attempts to engage Tribal Nations are generally well-intended but under-informed. A general lack of understanding of Indigenous worldviews and tribal sovereignty has often led to “one size fits all” solutions that do not fit the needs, wants, or desires of that community. Layered with a history of non-indigenous entities utilizing extractive practices in their relationships, the result has been a legacy of distrust. In response to this, many tribes are highly selective in who they work with and why as they seek to protect the very things that have been, and currently are, under threat: their land, language, culture, families, and sacred teachings.

Sep
29
Fri
2023
Indigenous Land Conservation, Water Preservation and Cultural Respect
Sep 29 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this talk focuses on the power of indigenous land management practices that have taken place for thousands of years, and the importance of traditional ecological knowledge in the preservation of these native ecological systems that have been severely damaged by human and industry impact for hundreds of years. Guest speaker: Leslie Jonas

Register Here

Currently, the condition of the water is critical as our waterways are sick and dying. This current condition threatens the lifeways of the local indigenous people who have lived and thrived in these natural environments for millenia. Concepts like Rewilding were introduced to reverse biodiversity loss but can exclude the local traditional ecological knowledge systems that have kept the natural world in balance since time immemorial.

Oct
10
Tue
2023
2023 Statewide Municipal Partnerships Conference @ College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Campus Center
Oct 10 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll invites you to the 2023 Statewide Municipal Partnerships Conference for municipal officials and staff, co-hosted by the Massachusetts Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and Division of Local Services. The event will be held at the College of the Holy Cross on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023.

Lt. Governor Driscoll and a panel of Cabinet members, to be announced, will kick off the morning. We will then break into sessions focused on a wide array of issues and opportunities facing the Commonwealth, facilitated by subject matter experts from across Massachusetts. The breakout sessions will include: 

  • Climate Resiliency and Climate Action Plans;
  • Building Livable Communities;
  • Post-Pandemic Public Health; and
  • Rural Empowerment
  • Federal Funding Opportunities

The attendance fee is $20 and can be paid upon registering via PayPal / credit card. Checks can be mailed to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Only checks will be accepted for attendance payment if you wish to pay day of at check-in.  

Steps to register:

  1. Complete the Registration Form
  2. Pay the attendance fee online through PayPal / credit card, or select the “At the door” option if you wish to pay by check or need an invoice. You can request an invoice by emailing nabbott@mapc.org.  
  3. Attendees can also pay the registration fee upon checking in at the door. Please note that only checks will be accepted at the door.
Oct
12
Thu
2023
Wampanoag Ecological Perspective, Historical Resilience, and Climate Adaptation
Oct 12 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this presentation will delve into the intricate connection between traditional ecological knowledge and the Wampanoag perspective. Guest speakers: Linda Coombs and Bret Stearns

Register Here

It will trace the evolution and expression of their worldview up until the time of initial contact. The discussion will cover how the Wampanoag people managed to preserve certain traditions despite colonization’s challenges. Moreover, it will emphasize the critical contemporary implications of these dynamics, particularly underscoring the pivotal role of the Wampanoag perspective in strengthening climate resiliency efforts in the present day.

Oct
26
Thu
2023
Restoring Indigenous Foodways for Climate Resilience
Oct 26 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this discussion will lead us beyond land acknowledgments to a more collaborative and rights-based approach to climate resilience. Guest speaker: Kristen Wyman

Register Here

Learn how indigenous land back efforts in both private and public lands are benefiting municipal efforts to restore and manage forests and waterways for increased biodiversity, greater productivity and resilience to shock and disturbance. Specifically, we will explore the historical characteristics of local indigenous foodways and consider how a transition to an alternative food system grounded in indigenous knowledge and leadership can support a more robust and resilient ecosystem in the context of our rapidly changing climate.