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MAPC Applauds Gov. Baker for Signing Landmark Climate Bill

For immediate release: Friday, March 26, 2021 BOSTON—The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston released the following statement thanking Gov. Baker for signing the new climate bill into law today. “We at MAPC are thrilled to see this history-making legislation signed into law today. This is a huge win for environmental justice, and will […]

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Video: Sea Level Rise and Underwater Municipal Budgets

On Thursday, March 26, MAPC held the inaugural event in our Accelerating Climate Resiliency Speaker Series. Every other month, we’ll bring experts and practitioners from across the country who can speak to the ways that they are perceiving and advancing resilience. In “Sea Level Rise and Underwater Municipal Budgets,” Dr. Linda Shi, an assistant professor […]

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MAPC Submits Public Comment on Governor Baker’s Interim Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030

For Release: March 23, 2021, at 9 a.m. MAPC Deputy Director Rebecca Davis released the following statement this morning: “MAPC would like to thank the Baker Administration for the opportunity to provide input on the Interim Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 at this critical juncture in the planning process. As drafted, the plan […]

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Regional Climate Collaboration: A Metro Mayors Celebration

In 2015, the Metro Mayors Coalition – a group of “Inner Core” cities and towns surrounding and including Boston – convened to sign a historic Climate Preparedness Commitment and pledged to work together to prepare the region for climate change. Since then, all 15 Metro Mayors communities have made strides to prepare for climate change, […]

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DLTA Spotlight: Keep Cool Somerville

Photo Credit: Atais Ribeiro, Keep Cool Somerville Photovoice Participant DLTA Spotlight: Keep Cool Somerville A cooling strategies toolkit for increasingly hot summers Written by Operations Specialist Rachel Marx District Local Technical Assistance, or “DLTA” funds, are state grants distributed among the state’s 13 Regional Planning Agencies (RPAs)—including MAPC—to provide cities and towns with money and […]

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Accelerating Climate Resiliency Grants: Proposals Due Feb. 26

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 […]

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MAPC Issues Statement on Trump Administration Rollback of Fuel Efficiency Standards

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) today issued a statement responding to weakened fuel efficiency standards announced by the Trump administration. “MAPC strongly opposes fuel efficiency rollbacks that will imperil people’s health, our environment, and the economy of our region, state, and country,” said MAPC Deputy Director Rebecca Davis. “Reversing course on efficiency and greenhouse […]

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Videos: Voices on Climate

Voices on Climate Change “Cape Cod was named for the codfish, and now we don’t see any codfish anymore,” observes Chatham fisherman Jamie Bassett, gesturing out to the Atlantic Ocean from his boat, “Does that mean the waters are warming around here? I don’t know. I’m not a scientist, I don’t know what the optimum […]

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A Vision for Green Infrastructure in the Region

Bioswale | Photo via Aaron Volkening, Flickr Stormwater runoff is one the major contributors of pollution in our waterways on any given day. When system failures occur due to excessive precipitation, our streets and homes flood and residents are sometimes exposed to untreated wastewater – and this will become more and more of a concern […]

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Wicked Hot Boston: Documenting Extreme Heat in the Greater Boston Area

As public schools let out this week in Greater Boston, summer fun is on people’s minds and many are planning their vacations, barbeques, and other summer activities. While the warmer weather is welcomed by many, it also signals the start of extreme heat season – which can be a public health hazard, especially for the […]

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