Chelsea Digital Equity Charrette
MAPC
Smart Growth & Regional Collaboration
MAPC and the City of Chelsea are conducting a Digital Equity planning charrette, as part of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute's Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program.
Chelsea's Digital Equity planning charrette is intended to update the findings of MAPC's previous regional Digital Equity Plan for the cities of Chelsea, Everett, and Revere. It will consist of two workshops, to be conducted in November and December 2024, and will result in a report which includes an updated community needs and existing conditions assessment, as well as a set of recommendations. It will outline the key findings through the lens of the Digital Equity framework.
What is the charrette process?
01 | Existing conditions + Needs analysis
Obtain an initial understanding of digital equity by examining existing programs, policies, assets, and data.
02 | Outreach + Workshop prep
Engage directly with municipal stakeholders, community organizations, and individuals most impacted by the digital divide to inform workshop goals and participation.
03 | Conduct workshops
Share initial data, gather feedback, and facilitate discussion on ideas for addressing the digital divide.
04 | Synthesis & action plan development
Develop recommendations and action plan with short- and long-term interventions, approaches, and funding opportunities to inform digital equity work.
Join us and participate!
Community workshop & listening session
This workshop will engage with Chelsea residents to better understand local digital equity needs, and opportunities to close the digital divide. It will be conducted in Spanish on November 20, 2024. For more information, or to express interest in participating, contact Will Pfeffer at [email protected].
A second workshop will be held in December, 2024 focused on engaging municipal staff and leadership in Chelsea.
To learn more or get involved in the Chelsea Digital Equity charrette, please email Will Pfeffer ([email protected]), the project manager for this planning process.
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GET INVOLVED
Check back soon for ways to get involved, including signing up for our email list, testing your internet speed, and completing a Digital Equity survey.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DIGITAL EQUITY WORK
Current Digital Equity Planning Projects
Completed Digital Equity Plans
Contact Us
Contact MAPC Civic Technologist Will Pfeffer at [email protected] for more information.
Other Resources
MBI Municipal Digital Equity Planning program application
Digital Equity at MAPC
Why Digital Equity planning?
MAPC is, at its core, a planning agency. We work with cities and towns across Greater Boston to produce Digital Equity plans which guide municipalities, public housing agencies, and other public entities in their efforts to increase digital equity.
A digital equity plan is distinct from a broadband master plan, which might detail the specific logistical and financial steps necessary to improve municipally-owned broadband infrastructure. A digital equity plan has a much broader focus: it addresses in-home access, affordability, digital literacy, device access, language access, and other factors which impact communities' experience using the internet far beyond the presence of fiber broadband infrastructure.
MAPC has been prequalified by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (the Commonwealth's broadband office) as a digital equity planning consultant. As part of MBI's Municipal Digital Equity Planning program, municipalities (or groups of municipalities) can apply to receive a digital equity plan or planning charrette at no cost to the municipality. The details of each of these two options are listed below, using language borrowed from MBI's application page. Municipalities may apply directly on the MBI's website here, and should feel free to contact our team with any questions about the application process or the digital equity planning process in general.
Previous Digital Equity Plans
In 2022, MAPC produced a Digital Equity Plan for the cities of Everett, Chelsea, and Revere. The full plan and the standalone Executive Summary can be accessed here:
Questions?
If you have questions or comments about MAPC's digital equity work, contact Civic Technologist, Will Pfeffer at [email protected].