Equity-Forward Development in Uphams Corner Across the Boston region and the United States, neighborhoods are experiencing significant economic changes. In some cases, residents can ride the wave of the economic surge and see their lives improve. Unfortunately, not all are lifted by this wave: many have been limited by a history of racial, legal, and […]
Continue reading...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 […]
Continue reading...Test Out MAPC’s TNC Revenue Calculator We have underfunded our transportation needs for decades. In every corner of the Commonwealth, this leads to congestion, frustration, increased carbon emissions, negative health impacts, and stunted economic opportunities for our cities and towns. Now is the time for comprehensive solutions to our transportation crisis. We need a broad […]
Continue reading...New Focus in Community Health Needs Assessments: The Social Determinants of Health Community health needs assessments (CHNAs), commonly performed by hospitals and other institutions, identify and describe factors that affect a given area’s health. Lately, there’s been a shift: CHNAs increasingly focus on the social determinants of health. This is making the assessments more useful […]
Continue reading...At MAPC, civic participation is the backbone of planning. That’s why our Medfield Creative Placemaking project centers community engagement and activation at the core of efforts to build public education and make meaning out of the town-owned site of the former Medfield State Hospital. MAPC is providing technical assistance to the Town of Medfield to […]
Continue reading...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 […]
Continue reading...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 […]
Continue reading...“It’s the rare municipality that has a large enough planning staff to deal with all of its issues on its own,” Keith Bergman, a past president of MAPC and former Littleton town administrator, said at a MAPC workshop earlier this year. “They need to tap into a greater resource.” For many cities and towns, MAPC […]
Continue reading...Nearly 30 percent of off-street parking spaces at multifamily developments in cities and towns around Boston are sitting empty at peak demand time, according to research released today by MAPC. MAPC staff counted nearly 20,000 parking spots at almost 200 multifamily buildings in Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, […]
Continue reading...Amanda Linehan Communications Director Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) 617-933-0705 alinehan@mapc.org 30% of off-street parking spaces at apartment buildings sit empty during peak demand, new research finds Boston – New research by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) shows most of the communities in Metro Boston have built more residential off-street parking than is needed […]
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