November 2025
MAPC Matters
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Need to Know Now
Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Applications Due December 8!
MAPC is accepting project concepts for the 2026 Technical Assistance Program (TAP). The program provides cities and towns in the Greater Boston region the opportunity to work with MAPC on local programs and planning initiatives that advance regional goals.
The initial application deadline is Monday, December 8, 2025. MAPC accepts project concepts on a rolling basis, however, applying by December 8 means your project will be considered when the greatest amount of funding is available.
We also invite you to join us today, Wednesday, November 11 (4:00 - 5:00 p.m. via Zoom) for a virtual informational webinar. Learn more and register for the webinar.
Go to the TAP Webpage for Full FY26 Application Information
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Take Action to Protect Our 2030 Emissions Goals
On November 7, it was reported that the House is strongly considering rolling back Massachusetts' 2030 Roadmap targets in the energy affordability package they are planning to advance out of committee.
The goals, derived from the landmark 2021 Global Warming Solutions Act, are designed to cut pollution by 50 percent compared with 1990 levels by 2030, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85 percent by 2050.
Forgoing our goals will only offer minor financial support in the near term while sacrificing the Commonwealth's resiliency and economic competitiveness in the long term, and stalling our progress towards equitable and accessible leading energy programs.
Learn How You Can Take Action to Support Our Emissions Reductions Goals
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MAPC Launching Parking Community of Practice for Municipal Staff
MAPC is launching a community of practice for municipal staff in the MAPC region to connect, ask questions, discuss ideas, and share best practices and learning opportunities around parking, as well as parking's connection to housing and other sustainability and equity goals.
Discussion topics include (but are not limited to): zoning reform, parking demand management, pricing, permitting, residential and commercial parking, and on-and off-street parking facilities.
All municipal staff are welcome to join in the conversations, which are moderated by MAPC's transportation team. To join, please contact
Adi Nochur: anochur@mapc.org.
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Winter Weather Planning and Preparation - Keep Your Communities Informed
With our first snowstorm and winter weather coming soon, we wanted to remind you of two resources to help you plan, prepare, and keep your communities informed.
MAPC's Winter Price Spike Communications Toolkit
The Winter Energy Price Spike Communications Toolkit is a communications and social media resource to help municipalities keep your communities informed about available opportunities to assist with high cost winter electric, gas, and heating bills.
Snow Removal and Accessibility
Local, state, and federal laws make it a requirement for businesses, homes, and public rights of way to be accessible to everyone. On the snow removal and accessibility in Massachusetts webpage provided by the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), you can find information on snow removal laws, snow removal accessibility violations, snow removal best practices, and more.
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2025 Fall Council Meeting - Thank You and a Recap
Thank you to everyone who joined us in-person on Wednesday, October 29 at the Arlington Town Hall for our 2025 Fall Council Meeting. We were excited to have leaders join us from the creative economy sector in our region for an insightful panel discussion. We were also thrilled to celebrate the recipients of the Legislator of the Year Award, Legislative Staffers of the Year Award, and the Representing the Region Community Engagement Award.
You can read a full recap of the meeting, learn more about the awardees, panel discussion, and access photos in MAPC's Planning 101 blog post: 2025 Fall Council Meeting Highlights Arts and Culture, Local Leaders Awarded.
Read the Fall Council Meeting Blog Post
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Climate Beacon Conference
The Climate Beacon Conference - an opportunity for fellow municipal, organizational, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth to gather to focus on creating a more livable and sustainable future - took place October 22 - 24, 2025 in Boston.
MAPC was honored to be a program partner for the Conference, and it was great seeing so many of you in attendance.
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Left to right: Lizzi Weyant, MAPC Executive Director and Adam Chapdelaine, MA Municipal Association (MMA) Executive Director and CEO |
Photo Credit: MAPC
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MAPC staff members, left to right: Kat Kobylt,
Senior Environmental Planner; Lizzi Weyant, Executive Director; Norman Abbott, Senior Government Affairs Specialist; Sasha Shyduroff-Gutman, Principal Planner; and Julie Curti, Director of Clean Energy | Photo Credit: MAPC
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Monthly Minute
Arts and Culture Department
Three Short Facts About the Department
- We officially launched as a division in 2017, and became a department in 2018.
- We have completed projects in all eight Greater Boston subregions.
- Our department of five includes a trained archeologist!
Three Current Projects to Check Out
- Lower Mystic Cool Communications
- Showcasing Local Venues
- Acton Cultural Arts Strategy
Something Unique About the Department
Our team is equally comfortable finding ways to engage artists in planning work and in showcasing our region’s diverse cultural heritage. We view humanities integrated with arts as an important pathway to planning for resilient, connected, healthy communities. Ask us about how we can help you bring arts, culture, and humanities into your planning efforts!
Contact the Arts and Culture Department
Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture, asengupta@mapc.org
Visit the Arts and Culture Webpage
| Monthly Minute is a new MAPC Matters section that will highlight the work of MAPC departments. It will provide you with a chance to get to know each of our departments and their work more, and will take you less than a minute to read every month. | | | | |
Municipal Empowerment Act (MEA)
On Tuesday, October 28, MAPC and municipal CEOs testified in support of the Municipal Empowerment Act, H.56, filed by Governor Healey at the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government hearing.
MAPC and our partners are in strong support of this bill that would make permanent flexible remote and hybrid meetings, streamline municipal procurement processes, and include provisions that will make it easier for cities and towns to carry out a number of different functions efficiently and effectively.
We invite you to show your support for this important legislation by signing on to a letter that will be sent to the Committee.
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Support the Creative Space Act
Arts and culture spaces are crucial component of the fabric of our communities. However, development pressures, increased housing costs, and the loss of industrial land across the Commonwealth are contributing to the rapid disappearance of the workspaces that fuel artistic and cultural production.
Join MAPC in supporting H.3587/S.2334, An Act to grow and maintain space in cities and towns for the creative economy filed by Rep Dan Cahill and Senator Liz Miranda - otherwise known as the Creative Space Act by signing on to a letter of support.
| | Massachusetts Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program | | |
Application Deadline
Thursday, January 8, 2026 (3:00 p.m. EST)
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Grant Authority
EEA - Division of Conservation Services
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Description
This grant provides up to 50% of a total project cost (acquisition, development, and renovation of parks, trails, conservation areas) for eligible entities and projects. More information can be found on the grant's webpage.
Two Upcoming Informational Sessions (full information on the grant's webpage):
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Monday, November 17, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - DFW Field Headquarters in Westboro
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - Microsoft Teams (will receive link upon RSVP'ing)
To RSVP for either session please email: melissa.cryan@mass.gov
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include but are not limited to municipalities that have an up-to-date Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP). For information on all eligible applicants and projects, please visit the grant's webpage.
| | Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant Program | | |
Application Deadline
Accepted on a rolling basis.
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Grant Authority
Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO)
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Description
This grant program is for eligible entities who are seeking or have received federal funding for projects. Visit the grant program webpage for examples of qualifying projects. Funding priority will be given to requests from Gateway Cities, rural communities, and localities with capacity and financial needs in underserved communities. Awarded applications will receive upfront funding. Applications are reviewing on a rolling basis.
Eligibility
Massachusetts municipalities, federally recognized tribes, regional organizations whose membership is exclusively composed of municipal governments, community development corporations, and and other development authorities or agencies. Please visit the grant webpage for full eligibility information.
| | 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 | | |
Homes for Profit Phase 2: An Analysis of Corporate Ownership Networks
MAPC’s 2023 Homes for Profit research investigated the role that speculative investment plays in the Commonwealth’s housing market. We found that between 2004 and 2018, one in five Massachusetts homes were purchased by an investor.
Following that work, MAPC and our research collaborators at the Healthy Neighborhoods Research Consortium (HNRC) were awarded funding by the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to build upon our original research.
This white paper provides a first look at Phase 2 of our Homes for Profit research, where we are working to identify property ownership networks obscured by multiple LLCs.
Access the Homes for Profit Phase 2 White Paper
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Fair Housing Resources for Municipalities
The MAPC Fair Housing Resources webpage includes information on resources and organizations you can contact about Fair Housing related concerns, questions, issues, and more.
If you are looking for a resource that you do not see listed on the page, please contact Adam Ploetz, Manager of Housing and Neighborhood Development (aploetz@mapc.org). We will continually be adding resources to the webpage.
Go to the Fair Housing Resources Webpage
| | We encourage you to continuously check out the employment page on our website for any upcoming positions. | | |
Water is Coming for the Seaport; the whole city will be poorer for it
Publication Date: October 28, 2025 | Source: The Boston Globe
". . .In all, 99 percent of what's been built in the Seaport in the last quarter-century is at risk of flooding by 2050, according to a recent analysis from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council."
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Hull's master plan consultant highlights need for affordable housing, open-space protection
Publication Date: October 23, 2025 | Source: The Hull Times
"The goal, according to [MAPC] senior regional land use and historic preservation planner Sarah Scott, is “to get a sense of which direction to go in and how to prioritize all of this information.”
“Open space [also] attracts visitors and tourists to town,” noted MAPC planner Evelyne St.-Louis."
"Of Hull’s 5,733 housing units, only 1.66% qualify toward the state’s required 10% affordable housing inventory, with minimal recent housing production in the town, MAPC regional housing planner Emma Yudelevitch said."
“We’re trying to reach as many people as possible,” MAPC regional land use planner Jiwon Park said."
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Boston housing permitting lags as residents express support for zoning changes
Publication Date: October 22, 2025 | Source: CommonWealth Beacon
"The city, building on work from prior administrations but advanced under Wu, is “out in front on housing production and really on talking not just about housing production but also affordability,” said Lizzi Weyant, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council."
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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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Happening today!
Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Informational Webinar (virtual)
November 12, 2025 | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) supports the MAPC region's 101 cities and towns to address local and regional challenges and achieve shared goals. Member municipalities are eligible to participate in TAP, which gives them access to the skills and expertise of MAPC staff for a project or initiative. The initial deadline to apply is Monday, December 8, 2025.
In this webinar, we will provide:
- An overview of the Technical Assistance Program funding priorities for 2026
- Examples of previously funded projects and a walkthrough of our new TAP Projects Map
- Application process and timeline
- Questions and Answers Session
Questions? Please contact:
TAProgram@mapc.org
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Local Action Units (LAUs): A Resource for Municipalities Release Webinar (virtual)
November 17, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Please join us for this virtual release of MAPC’s new Local Action Units (LAUs) Resource Guide for Municipalities.
This webinar will showcase our research and engagement around LAUs in Massachusetts and highlight the current challenges in LAU creation and administration and our recommendation on how to address these challenges. We will provide a tour of the online LAUs Resource Guide and the resources it includes.
We will be joined by:
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Lori Massa, Director and City Planner for the City of Melrose
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Liz Rust, Director of the Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO)
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Aly Sabatino, LAU Coordinator at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC)
Want a sneak peak of the Resource before the webinar?
Access the LAUs Resource Guide
Questions? Please contact:
Adam Ploetz, Manager of Housing and Neighborhood Development (aploetz@mapc.org)
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MPO Corner: News from our partner in transportation planning
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is Boston’s regional transportation planning agency. MAPC is one of 23 voting MPO board members. Subscribe for updates and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X at @BostonRegionMPO.
| Apply for Project Funding for the 2027–31 Capital Investment Program | Applications for the FFYs 2027–31 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) are open until Friday, January 2. This cycle marks the first year in which the MPO has dedicated funding for supporting new project design work. Applications for different project types are available on the MPO website. Learn more and apply for funding. | Seeking Technical Assistance to Advance a Transportation Project? The MPO can help! | |
The MPO offers planning, design, and analysis services to municipalities, regional transit authorities, and transportation management associations in the Boston region. We’re seeking applicants for technical assistance to support multimodal transportation projects that align with our goals and will improve the regional transportation system.
What types of technical assistance do we provide?
- Planning support to identify sites for new bike-share stations
- Project design to enhance safety and traffic flow at major intersections
- Analysis to help improve safety for students walking and biking to school
We welcome your proposals and project ideas. Please contact Jenn Emiko Concannon, MPO staff, at jconcannon@ctps.org.
| What Future Forces Will Shape Transportation in Our Region? | |
Help us determine the factors that will impact the region as we develop our next Long-Range Transportation Plan.
Are there specific impacts you think will affect transportation in the region over the next 20 years? Let us know your thoughts! Take our poll.
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Upcoming MPO Meetings and Events:
Sunday, November 16: World Day of Remembrance Ride for Your Life
Thursday, November 20: UPWP Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 4: MPO Meeting
Monday, December 8: Community Advisory Council Meeting
Thursday, December 11: Annual MPO Meeting
Public attendance and comments are welcome at all MPO meetings and events. Visit the MPO’s website for more information. Meeting dates and materials are available on the MPO meeting calendar. Submit questions and comments via the MPO’s feedback forms.
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Your monthly MAPC newsletter. | | | | | |
