BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

Planning

Call for Photo Submissions!



SRPC is finalizing the 2026–2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and we are inviting YOU to submit high‑quality photos for to be included in the final plan. We welcome images that reflect the region on the move:

• You or your family on the move

• Cycling or rolling on urban or rural roads

• A key section of road, rail, trail, or sidewalk

• Another creative depiction of transportation in our region!

Submitted photos may be used in the MTP and Forward Thinking plan, on SRPC communication platforms, or in future outreach materials. Please use this surveymonkey form to submit, or connect with Senior Planner Mark Davie at mdavie@straffordrpcnh.gov. 

Pieces of Interest

September 1: Summer Networking with Plan NH @ Inscription Architects, Weare, NH - register here

September 9, 2026, 4pm-6:30pm, Portsmouth, NH: Seacoast Housing Conversations – Advancing Conservation and Housing Goals

September 15: Dover, NH: Plan NH’s Annual Meeting – Built to Belong: The Next Generation of Mixed-Use Neighborhood Developments

September 22: Northeast Housing Summit | 10am to 2pm, virtual | register here

September 22: Seacoast Eat Local 20^th Anniversary Celebration – a fundraising event honoring their Roots and Seeding their Future. Tickets available here. 

September 23, 2026: NH Housing - Housing and Economy 2026 Conference: Preserving the Past. Creating Homes for the Future

 September 25: Preservation Regional Roundtable from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance | 10am to 2pm, Somersworth | register here

October 1: Plan NH Annual Golf Tournament - register as a player or an event sponsor. More event details can be found on the Plan NH Event Calendar

October 28, 2026: AEI Housing Center's 15th Annual Housing Center Conference

Happening Now! NH NPR asks One Big Question each month. “How has the cost of housing in New Hampshire shaped your life decisions?"

Transportation

Dover Parking Study

SRPC and the City of Dover are conducting a parking study in downtown Dover in September. The parking study will take place over a course of 3 days (8am-9pm) including two weekend days and one week day. The parking study will look at the utilization of parking across the downtown, the efficacy of parking restrictions, meter usage, and other trends. This information will help the city make informed decisions on potential changes to parking regulations and to identify when and where additional parking structures should be built. 

Volunteers are needed to assist with data collection. There are over 2,000 parking spaces in the study, so we will need many volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to collect data, please sign up at forms.cloud.microsoft/r/a490q38npp

Pieces of Interest

Autonomous Delivery Robots in Jersey City: What They Mean for Sidewalk Accessibility

Economic Development

Public Input Opportunity

NH Afterschool Network is gathering information from public health networks, Family Resource Centers, behavioral health providers, prevention coalitions, and other community partners to better understand how access—or lack of access—to afterschool and summer programs is impacting children, families, and communities across New Hampshire.

We're already seeing some really interesting connections around transportation, family stability, mental health, prevention, and access to safe, structured spaces for youth, and I'd really love to get more responses from the Strafford County area.

The survey only takes about 5–8 minutes:

https://forms.gle/pFxLjGunoZxZFdmB6

Pieces of Interest

The hidden cost of child care: What NH businesses need to know

Grant Announcements

PREP’s Climate Impact Grants are BACK!

Is your community facing challenges with extreme heat or flooding? PREP is offering grants up to $25,000 for community-led projects that build local climate resilience across the Piscataqua Region Watershed.

Apply and learn from recently funded projects: https://lnkd.in/gm5zJrEf

Applications Due: October 30, 2026 @ 5:00 PM, EST

Land Conservation Transaction Costs in the Great Bay Watershed - Land Protection Transaction Grant Program, Fall 2026.

Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership announces the Fall 2026 application is available. Grants assist with transaction costs for land protection projects in the Great Bay Watershed of New Hampshire. Qualified nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) conservation organizations, municipalities and units of government may apply. Applications are due October 15, 2026.

Grant Application Instructions and Application Form are available on the GBRPP website http://www.greatbaypartnership.org

Grants Available for Stewardship Costs in the Coastal Watershed

The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership announces Stewardship Grant Program Fall 2026 Stewardship Grant Program applications are available to assist with land stewardship costs for permanently protected conservation lands in the Coastal Watershed.

Stewardship Grant Application Instructions and Application Form are available on the GBRPP website http://www.greatbaypartnership.org

Application Due Date: October 15, 2026

Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | info@straffordrpcnh.gov | www.straffordrpcnh.gov

August 28, 2026