Category: Community Planning

Accelerating Climate Resiliency Grants: Proposals Due Feb. 26

Posted on February 1, 2021 at 10:03 am. Written by Elise Harmon

If you had the chance to do one small project to prepare your city or town for climate change, what would you do? MAPC is offering another round of Accelerating Climate Resiliency Grants to help municipalities advance strategies that protect people, places, and communities from the impacts of climate change. Generously funded by the Barr […]

Transportation Planning with a Health Lens

Posted on December 14, 2020 at 5:51 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Transportation Planning with a Health Lens The Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council Assessment and Action Plan In 2019, a group of local health and community leaders, transportation professionals, planners, and municipal employees gathered with a unique vision: to approach transportation planning in the Blue Hills region through a health lens. The result was the […]

Six Communities Chosen for Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan Program

Posted on September 28, 2020 at 4:37 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Six Communities Chosen for Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan (REMAP) Program Six Greater Boston communities will receive technical assistance to create and begin to implement racial equity action plans over the next year. The towns of Bedford, Natick, and Stoughton and cities of Framingham, Lynn, and Revere will participate in the Racial Equity Municipal Action […]

Help Guide Investment in the Future of Downtown Ashland

Posted on June 4, 2020 at 12:44 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

For immediate release: Thursday, June 4, 2020 Help Guide Investment in the Future of Downtown Ashland Resident survey now live; Results will help shape zoning & development decisions for long-term neighborhood success ASHLAND – The Town of Ashland is looking for resident input into the future of downtown, and a resident survey is now live […]

Shared Practices for Engagement in Virtual Meetings

Posted on May 8, 2020 at 10:24 am. Written by Elise Harmon

Hosting engaging public meetings over virtual platforms can be tricky. Since the COVID-19 emergency necessitated working from home, MAPC has been working with staff and partners to understand how to host engaging virtual meetings. This document assembles some recommendations and shared practices

April Data Viz: The Digital Divide

Posted on April 1, 2020 at 9:25 am. Written by Annabelle Thomas Taylor

Every month, MAPC’s Data Services department is releasing maps and data visualizations covering a range of vital and interrelated topics: equity, housing, transportation, climate, arts and culture, and more. April’s visualization focuses on the unequal distribution of computer ownership in the region and the impacts it may have on 2020 census participation, accessibility to information […]

New Resources for Equitable Net Zero Planning

Posted on March 10, 2020 at 11:06 am. Written by Elise Harmon

New Resources for Equitable Net Zero Planning Prioritize Net Zero Actions and Implement Equity with our Frameworks In response to the climate crisis, cities and towns across the globe have made commitments to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by maximizing reductions in energy use and supplying buildings, transportation, and infrastructure with renewable sources of […]

March Data Viz: A Region Under Construction

Posted on March 2, 2020 at 4:31 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

Every month, MAPC’s Data Services department is releasing maps and data visualizations covering a range of vital and interrelated topics: equity, housing, transportation, climate, arts and culture, and more. March’s visualization looks at development across the region from 2015 through 2025. Using data from MAPC’s own MassBuilds, this visualization explores where development has happened, is […]

“Crowded in and Priced Out:” Housing Families with Children in Greater Boston

Posted on February 3, 2020 at 8:42 am. Written by Elise Harmon

Nearly one out of every four families with children in 12 Greater Boston communities pay more than half their income for housing, while nearly one in ten live in overcrowded conditions.

A Comprehensive Master Plan for North Reading

Posted on December 3, 2019 at 7:42 pm. Written by Elise Harmon

In Massachusetts, cities and towns must create and update “master plans,” which are just what they sound like: plans for the future of the municipality that touch on everything from economic development to housing to transportation (and more). These plans help inform decision-making for local boards, committees, and Town Meetings to guide everything from zoning […]