Massachusetts House and Senate Pass Comprehensive Climate Legislation Photo by Aubrey Odom-Mabey, Unsplash For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 21 2022 The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is pleased that the Legislature has passed a comprehensive climate package that will positively impact our region’s environment, infrastructure, economy, and public health. We thank both the House and Senate […]
“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 hazard in the world. In the Boston area, most of this pollution comes from the fossil-fuel burning vehicles that transport us across town and across […]
“Pool testing”—batching samples together and retesting individually if a result is positive—is a way for municipalities and schools to work together to provide regular, frequent, and cost-effective COVID-19 testing. In this December 14 webinar, attendees heard about a pool testing program led by Tufts University with Somerville and Medford Public Schools, as well as programs […]
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 […]
Cities and towns are deploying a number of strategies to identify the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. One emerging method: testing sewage from households and buildings for the presence of the virus. Knowing that COVID-19 is present in wastewater can be an important indicator of where its spread may be accelerating. In places where […]
138 Local Public Health Officials & Municipal Leaders Call for Emergency Funding for Local Health Departments Over 100 public health officials and municipal leaders from throughout Massachusetts are calling for a second $15 million package of emergency funding for local health departments before the end of 2020. On November 23, 138 officials from 87 communities […]
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 […]
As the weather warms and the trees sprout leaves after long bare months, the city of Cambridge welcomes spring: sprouts and stakes appear in community gardens, bees buzz around their hives, hens peck in backyards, and urban farmers sell their wares from farm stands. That’s what springtime in Cambridge could look like in a few […]
Photo by Cyara Lambert Good food and good health go hand in hand. With a good food system comes environmental sustainability, social cohesion, and civic engagement. And Everett residents are ready for food system change. Like many urban areas, the City of Everett faces challenges to providing equitable access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods. Recent […]
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) today issued a statement in reaction to the proposed rule from the Trump Administration that would imperil the current greenhouse gas emission standards for model year 2021-2026 vehicles, and put in place weakened emission and fuel efficiency standards at the expense of our health, our environment, and our economy.
