Last week, SMPDC partnered with GPCOG to host our third annual Southern Maine Digital Opportunity Summit! Coalition members and community leaders from York and Cumberland Counties gathered to celebrate Maine’s digital inclusion successes, share stories, and strengthen partnerships.

SMPDC and GPCOG are among several statewide partners who have been working with the Maine Connectivity Authority to increase and improve internet access in our state. Our Regional Broadband and Digital Inclusion program seeks to help individuals, businesses, and communities bridge the digital divide.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspiring day of community building! 

SMPDC is pleased to announce the availability of five Meeting Owl 3 cameras on a first come, first serve basis to qualifying member communities. The Owl camera is an all-in-one 360° camera, mic, and speaker, allowing several people in one room to participate in a virtual or hybrid meeting. We are offering these devices as part of our Regional Broadband and Digital Inclusion program.

Municipal staff or board members, please complete our Municipal Digital Needs Survey to become eligible to receive an Owl. Your responses will help us understand the municipal digital needs of our region and help us to prioritize and obtain future sources of digital inclusion program funding.

The KACTS long range transportation plan, Southern Maine in Motion, was recently approved by the KACTS Policy Committee. The 20-year plan, also called the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, lays out a vision for the future of our region’s transportation system, including everything from roadways to public transportation and accessible routes for bicyclists and pedestrians. The finalized plan will be made available at smpdc.org/kacts. 

Check out our recorded virtual webinar Planning Legislation: LD1829 & More, where our planners walked through the municipal impacts of five new state laws related to planning and land use. Municipal law attorney Phil Saucier joined us to provide the legal perspective and answer questions. Click the button below to view the recording and access our newly available factsheets that cover LD1829, LD427 and LD997.

SMPDC is thrilled to share the new Plans to Porches Toolkit, created as part of the Joint Land Use Study. This toolkit is applicable to any community looking to increase housing production in a way that matches community values and character. Check out the recording of our October 14th webinar for a walkthrough of the toolkit and to hear from town planners in our region who have already adopted some of these ordinances locally.



Access the toolkit and materials at the links below:

Toolkit

Webinar Recording

Presentation Slides

SMPDC is excited to announce the kickoff of a new bi-state economic development partnership for our Seacoast-area communities.

The partnership, called Tri-Region Economic Development Stakeholders (TREDS), brings SMPDC together with Rochester, NH’s Strafford Regional Planning Commission, serving 18 communities in Strafford, Carroll, and Rockingham Counties, and the Regional Economic Development Center, an EDA-designated economic development district serving Rockingham County, NH. 

TREDS will serve as a forum for resource-sharing to help proliferate best practices, share data, and strengthen the Seacoast-area economy.

The group kicked off on December 2^nd, with its first meeting including presentations by staff from the towns of Exeter, NH, Derry, NH, and South Berwick on lessons learned from economic development initiatives that took place during 2025.

TREDS will meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month via Zoom. Attendance is open to all municipal staff, nonprofit organizations, institutions, and businesses with an interest in municipal and regional economic development.

Questions? Contact James Rather, Director of Strategic Initiatives.

On November 12, over 100 participants from local governments, volunteer committees, state offices, and more came together to strengthen connections and discuss best practices for effective climate action in our region. Sessions included nature-based strategies for coastal resilience, local climate policy and ordinance updates, and poster sessions with University of New England students. A big thank you to everyone who participated!