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Need to Know Now
FY26-27 MAPC Work Plan Adopted
On July 16, the MAPC Executive Committee met to review and adopt the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (FY26-27) agency work plan.
MAPC Directors joined the meeting and facilitated small group discussions on how the work plan's goals, strategies, and tactics align with and advance MAPC's newly adopted
2025-2030 Strategic Plan and MetroCommon 2050.
Access the FY26-27 Work Plan
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Getting to Know MAPC's Community Engagement Team
Community Engagement - an evolving set of practices to allow cities and towns to involve residents in decisions that affect their lives. It is one that you don’t have to do alone.
MAPC has a Community Engagement Team whose focus is on supporting municipalities in integrating residents' input into policy and planning projects. The Team provides consulting services to facilitate meetings, organize and implement engagement activities, and create custom engagement strategies to reach diverse and varied audiences.
You can learn more about MAPC's Community Engagement Team and the work they do, by reading our latest Planning 101 blog post, Catching Up with Community Engagement. If you are interested in connecting with the Team, please reach out to Javier Gutierrez, Director of Community Engagement (jgutierrez@mapc.org).
Read the Catching Up with Community Engagement blog post
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EOHLC ADU Office Hours
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) is offering office hours to help municipal planners understand the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) law and regulations, that became effective on February 2, 2025.
The office hours are once a month (since June) on every second Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Registration for any of the office hours is required.
Upcoming Office Hour Dates:
August 13, September 10, October 8, and November 12.
To learn more about the office hours, the office hour dates, and to register, please visit the EOHLC Office Hours Registration Page.
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Virtual Opportunities: HOPL and MBTA Communities
For cities and towns who may be interested, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) is hosting two virtual opportunities in August.
Next Steps for Compliant MBTA Communities (August 19):
Hosted by MHP, Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), this webinar will focus on post-MBTA compliance strategies and opportunities for MBTA Communities.
Register for the MBTA Communities Webinar
Housing Opportunity on Public Land (HOPL) Program (August 20):
A virtual information session hosted by MHP to learn more about their HOPL Program.
Register for the HOPL Webinar
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MARPA and DLS Conference 2025 - Save the Date and Register
Please join the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and the Division of Local Services (DLS) at the 2025 MARPA and DLS Conference. Hear from local, state, and regional thought leaders on a range of topics like housing, transportation, climate, funding, and much more.
October 7, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
Hogan Campus Center - Ballroom, College of the Holy Cross
1 College St, Worcester, MA 01610
We encourage you to save the date and time to your calendar, and register now. Additional information about the conference will be coming soon.
Register for the MARPA and DLS Conference
| | Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety Staffing Program | | |
Application Deadline
Friday, August 8, 2025 (4:00 p.m.)
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Grant Authority
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
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Description
To provide eligible municipalities with funds to address police and/or fire staff shortfalls, with the goal of enhancing public safety and emergency response services.
Eligibility
There are ten municipalities who are eligible based on the required criteria of: having a population of at least 60,000 and had a police department operating budget of less than $200 per capita in 2010.
The ten municipalities are: Brockton, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Newton, and Somerville.
| | Child Passenger Safety Education and Assistance Program | | |
Application Deadline
Depends. See note below.
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Grant Authority
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
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Application Deadline
Applications accepted on a rolling basis until either all funds are depleted or until August 31, 2025; whichever comes first.
Description
To provide eligible entities with car seats for distribution to low-income families through certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians. Visit the grant program's webpage for full description.
Eligibility
Includes but is not limited to Massachusetts municipal agencies. View the full eligibility requirements and eligible entities on the grant program's webpage.
| Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program | | |
Application Deadline
Friday, October 3, 2025 (11:00 a.m.)
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Grant Authority
MA Dept of Transportation (MassDOT)
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Description
The focus of the program is on increasing safe walking, biking, and rolling routes to school for students in elementary, middle, and high school. The program uses a community-focused approach, with the goal of bridging the gap between transportation and health.
The 2025 Program application period will launch on September 3, 2025. MassDOT will be hosting an informational webinar: September 3, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
Register for the webinar.
Eligibility
More information coming soon.
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Local Early and Actionable Planning (LEAP) Program | | |
Application Deadline
Accepted on a rolling basis. Please see below.
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Grant Authority
MA Dept of Transportation (MassDOT)
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Application Deadline
Applications accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed/approved to move forward based on available funding.
Description
To provide support (planning and early-design support) to municipalities for transportation infrastructure projects. MassDOT's support will include capacity building for transportation projects, department staff support, and on-call staff support. Learn more about this program on their LEAP webpage.
Eligibility
Priority will be given to rural communities, Gateway Cities, and those that have similar capacity and funding needs. Visit the program webpage to learn more about the program eligibility, as well as to view a list of eligible projects.
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Technical Assistance
If your municipality is interested in applying for grant funding but lacks staff capacity, MAPC may be able to help. Grant Assistance Program (GAP) funding could allow you to seek assistance from knowledgeable Regional Planning Agency (RPA) staff, which can also lead to more competitive regional and multi-municipal applications, increasing the likelihood of receiving funding. For inquiries or questions, contact Gloria Huangpu (ghuangpu@mapc.org).
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*New* MAPC Tools, Resources, and Opportunities to Participate | | |
Updated Research and Analysis Webpage
MAPC's Research Team creates new data resources and conducts original analysis to provide insight on the past, present, and future of Greater Boston.
This includes but is not limited to, providing research reports, white papers/blog posts, digital tools, and regional indicators.
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We are excited to announce that we recently made updates to the Research and Analysis webpage, to make it more user-friendly! You will now find all resources broken out by subject area, such as economic development, environment, government, housing, land use, transportation, and regional indicators.
You will also find an icon next to every item to know if it is a report, white paper/blog post, digital tool, or a regional indicator.
Access the Research and Analysis Webpage
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New Massachusetts State Grant Opportunities for Municipalities Resource
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides a tremendous amount of diverse grant funding opportunities throughout the year that municipalities qualify to apply for.
MAPC understands how important this funding is to supporting your community projects, and that capacity and time is limited to be able to look for these opportunities.
Which is why we are thrilled to share a new resource now available on our website that is 100% focused on providing information on currently open state grant opportunities.
We encourage you to check the webpage often, as it will continually be updated with state grant funding opportunities as their application periods open. Once an application period has expired, the opportunity will be removed from the webpage.
Please also contact us (communications@mapc.org) and let us know if you know of a state grant opportunity that is currently open, however you do not see it listed on the webpage.
Go to the State Grant Opportunities Resource
| | We encourage you to continuously check out the employment page on our website for any upcoming positions. | | |
Rent hike limits pitched as complement to housing production push
Publication Date: July 29, 2025 | Source: State House News
“Some 441,000 low-income households across the state lack access to an affordable rental home, according to research released in April from Housing Navigator Massachusetts, Inc. and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. That translates into the existing affordable housing stock serving just 32% of low-income households.”
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Regional Planning Group Seeks Feedback on Areas of Town to Develop, Places to Preserve
Publication Date: July 24, 2025 | Source: Watertown News
“Watertown will be one of five communities on the I-90 Corridor studied by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to see which areas of town are the best fit for new homes and jobs, and which are best preserved.”
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Virtual open town meeting? Wayland is pushing to try it
Publication Date: July 22, 2025 | Source: State House News (Story also featured in WBUR, Milford Daily News,)
“…representatives from the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Metropolitan Area Planning Council, said Monday that eliminating the barrier of in-person participation for individuals who have disabilities, have children, are caregivers or are traveling out of town could drastically increase participation in local government.
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In defense of Boston-area municipal clean energy programs
Publication Date: July 19, 2025 | Source: The Boston Globe
Letter written by Assistant Director of Clean Energy Jeremy Koo regarding the Boston Community Choice Electricity program, in response to a July 2 article, "Fewer than 1 in 10 Bostonians are getting the cheapest power the city offers."
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Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events, and we encourage you to check our online events calendar often for new and updated event postings.
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2025 Landline Rides | Boston to Salem (in-person) - today!
August 6, 2025 | 3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Note: August 6 is a date change from the originally scheduled date of July 31 for this ride, due to weather.
Please join MAPC and the East Coast Greenway for a ride between Boston and Salem on the Border to Boston Trail. It will be about a 25 mile ride between Boston and Salem, with the choice to join the group in Boston or in Lynn.
Logistics:
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3:30 p.m. – Meet at Puopolo Park in the North End, just to the right of the skating rink.
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5:00 p.m. – Meet in Lynn near Market Basket on the Northern Strand. Ride to Salem, finishing at Willows Park where there are several choices to grab a bite and sit on the grass with waterfront views.
The focus of this ride is to see:
- The new North Washington Street Bridge at or close to completion
- Northern Strand extension under construction in downtown Lynn
- Trail resurfacing in Marblehead
- Plus more surprises along the way
To RSVP and for any questions:
David Loutzenheiser, Senior Transportation Planner, DLoutzenheiser@mapc.org
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Introducing the Climate Resilience Playbook: An Online Resource for Massachusetts Communities (virtual)
September 10, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Join the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) for a webinar to officially launch the Climate Resilience Playbook (the Playbook).
The Playbook is an online interactive tool that local planners can use to identify and prioritize resilience actions for their communities. During the webinar you will learn more about the collaborative engagement process that shaped the Playbook, its features, and opportunities to help shape this evolving tool.
Want a sneak peek of the Playbook? Access the Playbook here!
Questions? Please contact:
Van Du, Director of Environmental Planning, vdu@mapc.org
Emma Zehner, Senior Clean Energy and Climate Planner, ezehner@mapc.org
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2025 MARPA and DLS Conference (in-person)
October 7, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Please join the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and the Division of Local Services (DLS) at the 2025 MARPA and DLS Conference.
Hear from local, state, and regional thought leaders on a range of topics like housing, transportation, climate, funding, and much more.
Doors will open at 8:30 a.m., and the Conference will begin at 9:00 a.m.
We encourage you to save the date and time to your calendar, and register now.
Additional information about the conference - including the announcement of keynote speakers, break out topics, and more - will be shared in the coming weeks and months!
Questions? Please contact:
Norman Abbott, Senior Government Affairs Specialist, nabbott@mapc.org
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