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This webinar will discuss climate-smart parks in Metro Boston, covering the available tools, data analysis, and planning and design strategies for successful implementation. The Trust for Public Land and Metropolitan Area Planning Council developed and implemented a Climate Smart Parks data analysis and mapping tool to help Massachusetts towns plan and design urban parks and green infrastructure installations to support urban climate resilience. The metro-Boston city of Medford will showcase these tools and strategies in action with a real-world climate-resilient green infrastructure case study developed and implemented through the Metro Mayors Program.
- Brendan Shane, Director of Climate, The Trust for Public Land
- Darci Schofield, Senior Environmental Planner, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
- Alicia Hunt, Sustainability Director, City of Medford, MA
Learn more: https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/soak-rain-new-england-webinar-series
Join MAPC on Wednesday, September 11, from 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM, for a free webinar on our new white paper, Hot, Cool, Clean: Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities.
Across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, municipalities are embracing clean heating and cooling systems as important tools for reducing their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions. With recent technological advancements and evolving markets, air-source heat pumps, ground-source humps, and solar thermal have emerged as viable alternatives to fossil-fuel heating systems. Hot, Cool, Clean: Clean Heating and Cooling Opportunities for Massachusetts Municipalities highlights the technologies that are providing municipalities with cost-effective, low-carbon solutions for their heating and cooling needs. Join MAPC for this webinar to learn more about the incentives available to municipalities interested in clean heating and cooling and to hear from municipal leaders who have installed these systems.
One Year Later:
Reflecting on the Future of Transportation Commission report and what lies ahead for the Commonwealth
Join MAPC to learn how to use our new Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool and Step-by-Step Guide. This virtual training will help municipal staff and volunteers understand the basics of developing a GHG inventory, where they can go to gather the data for their community, and how to understand the data once you’ve completed the Tool.
Solar Remote Permitting & Inspection Best Practices: COVID-19 Impacts and Long-Term Potential
Please join MassCEC, MAPC, and SolSmart to learn about best practices on remote permitting and inspection during COVID-19, and the long-term potential of those practices. The webinar will feature guest speakers from three Massachusetts communities; Gardner, Brockton, and Lowell. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact solar@masscec.com.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7565282524044732684
Municipal Webinar
Economic Development Administration American rescue plan act programs and funding
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.
Municipal Webinar
How Municipalities can make meaningful investments with ARPA dollars
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.
MAPC is holding an additional information session on Tech Hubs opportunity.
MAPC’s aims are to respond to questions and serve as a resource to those interested in pursuing funding available through the Tech Hubs Program. This session will provide a more detailed understanding of the application process, eligibility criteria, and connect you with other interested parties.
This opportunity is for government entities, higher education institutions, tech industry groups, economic development organizations, workforce organizations, and other potential consortia members.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Raul Gonzalez at rgonzalez@mapc.org.
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
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.