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Planning101: Public Health

Public Health

Planning101 is a space for MAPC staff to share their wealth of knowledge on topics related to smart growth and regional collaboration. This blog covers a diverse range of issues that include transportation, clean energy, land use, environment, public health, local government, equity, the innovative usage of public data, and the process of creating digital tools.

Keep Cool Somerville: Grants Piloted Small-Scale Projects

By Elise Harmon | December 16, 2021

Keep Cool Somerville: Grants Piloted Small Scale Projects In the summer of 2021, the City of Somerville and Metropolitan Area Planning Council gave six community organizations grants to build resilience […]

Action Alert: Support Local and Regional Public Health in the ARPA Spending Bill

By Elise Harmon | November 15, 2021

This fall, the Massachusetts House and Senate have been hard at work designing an American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) spending bill that will advance the Commonwealth’s pandemic recovery. Both the […]

MAPC Releases Statement on Municipal Public Health in ARPA Spending Bills

By Elise Harmon | November 13, 2021

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) today released the following statement on the Legislature’s pending ARPA bills related to municipal public health funding and policy reform.

MetroCommon 2050 Comic: Equity of Wealth and Health

By Elise Harmon | September 2, 2021

Health, equity, and prosperity: there are three strands of a single system, braided tightly together. Read this new original comic by Dorchester’s Ludgy Jean-Baptiste to learn and share the basics. […]

The Energy it Takes to Keep Cool

By Sasha Shyduroff | July 28, 2021

The Energy it Takes to Keep Cool Written by Natalie Manitius and Kimberly Clark The increasing number of extreme heat days presents a challenge in the region to both decrease […]

Text ona decorative sea green background says, "Cool it with Art. How artists and organizers are tacking rising temperatures with art."

MAPC Releases Toolkit for Tackling Rising Temps with Art

By Elise Harmon | July 13, 2021

MAPC Releases Toolkit for Tackling Rising Temps with Art As cities across the country experience more frequent and intense weather events due to climate change, the arts offer opportunities to […]

“Particulate Policy” White Paper Focuses on Air Quality Policy Solutions

By Elise Harmon | June 21, 2021

“Particulate Policy” White Paper Focuses on Air Quality Policy Solutions Even though we often can’t see it, air pollution – specifically particle pollution – is the most serious environmental health […]

Video: From Snow Days to Heat Waves

By Elise Harmon | May 25, 2021

Take the Survey! How do you experience heat? How do you cool down? We’re working with the Metro Mayors Coalition to create a plan to address heat-related health concerns and […]

Regional Organizations Launch Summer Heat Preparedness Week

By Elise Harmon | May 25, 2021

With memories of last summer’s record temperatures still fresh and Summer 2021 off to a hot start with temperatures already hitting 90 degrees over the weekend, a coalition of Greater […]

Heat Preparedness Week 2021: Take Action Today

By Elise Harmon | May 24, 2021

Heat Preparedness Week 2021 In the Greater Boston region, we’re experiencing more frequent and intense heat waves, as well as generally rising temperatures. 2020 marked the hottest summer globally, with 14 days […]