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Created in 1963, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) promotes inter-local cooperation and advocates for smart growth by working closely with cities and towns, state and federal agencies, non-profit institutions, and community-based organizations in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. MAPC strives to provide leadership on emerging issues of regional significance by conducting research, building coalitions, and acting as a regional forum for action.
MAPC provides technical assistance and specialized services in land use planning, water resources management, transportation, housing, environmental protection, economic development, public safety, geographic information systems (GIS), collective purchasing, data analysis and research, legislative and regulatory policy, and the facilitation and support of inter-local partnerships. More information is available at www.mapc.org.
MAPC is governed by 101 municipal government appointees, 21 gubernatorial appointees, and 13 appointees of state and City of Boston agencies. An Executive Committee comprising 25 elected members oversees agency operations. Funding for MAPC activities is derived from governmental contracts and foundation grants, and a per-capita assessment on member municipalities.
MAPC has divided the region into eight subregions - Belmont belongs to the Inner Core Committee.
Advancing Smart Growth
MAPC's MetroFuture: Making a Greater Boston Region initiative is planning for Metro Boston's growth and development through 2030. MAPC presented the MetroFuture plan at a Boston College Citizen Seminar, where participants overwhelmingly voted to ratify it and work for its implementation. MAPC is now developing an implementation strategy, addressing public policy, public funding priorities, and changes in practice within the private sector. By mid-2008, MetroFuture will transition from a planning initiative to an advocacy program, uniting the efforts of MAPC, partner organizations, and the thousands of "plan-builders" in an effort to alter regional priorities and growth patterns consistent with the new plan.
As a member of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, MAPC helped form the Transportation Investment Coalition. This group of business, environmental, public interest, and planning organizations is pressing for savings, efficiencies, and new revenues to address the state transportation finance deficit. The Alliance joined with others to advocate successfully for an increase in the Commonwealth's Bond Cap, increasing the resources available to address the state's capital needs. Through the Alliance, MAPC is also working to reform the state's arcane zoning laws.
Collaboration for Public Safety
MAPC performs fiduciary, planning, and project management duties for the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council (NERAC), a network of 85 cities and towns north and west of Boston. In 2007, MAPC helped to develop the School Threat Assessment Response System (STARS), an emergency planning toolkit for each school district in the region. With the assistance of MAPC, NERAC provided portable radios programmed for the Boston Area Police Emergency Radio Network, enabling real-time radio communications among police, fire, and other first responders during major emergencies. In the past year, NERAC established an online information clearinghouse for police and fire departments, and began planning for emergency evacuations from a regional perspective. MAPC also helped NERAC to set up three regional crime mapping centers that use GIS to
visualize crime data through maps.
Collaboration for Municipal Savings
MAPC's Regional Purchasing Consortia administered six procurements for 42 cities and towns, saving communities up to 20% on purchases such as office supplies, paving services, and road maintenance. Similar savings were realized by the 300 agencies that participate in the Greater Boston Police Council (GBPC), which is administered by MAPC. In fiscal year 2007, MAPC conducted seven procurements for various types of vehicles, including police cruisers and heavy-duty trucks. Overall, 187 municipalities purchased 329 vehicles at an estimated cost of over $20 million.
Reliable Data, Available to All
Since its official launch in February, MAPC's MetroBoston Data Common online data and mapping tool has been used by dozens of constituents to create customized maps for developing grant applications, analyzing development proposals, or improving services. You can create maps, charts, and graphs on the Data Common by accessing www.metrobostondatacommon.org. In addition to supporting this online tool, the Metro Data Center at MAPC responds to data requests from member communities, non-profit organizations, businesses, residents, students and other state agencies.
Charting a Course to Regional Prosperity
MAPC developed its annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region, in partnership with the US Economic Development Administration. The report contains an analysis of trends and conditions in the regional economy, highlighting challenges and opportunities. The economic analysis in the CEDS is targeted to front-line economic development staff working in the public and community-based sectors.
Getting Around the Region
MAPC produced a Regional Bicycle Plan, assessing current conditions and identifying the improvements necessary to create a more comprehensive regional bicycle transportation system. The plan establishes updated goals based on previous plans, and identifies key strategies and priority projects.
Under its new Regional Bike Parking Program, MAPC negotiated discount group purchasing contracts with three leading vendors of bicycle parking equipment. This allows MAPC municipalities and other public entities to purchase discounted equipment and, in some cases, to receive state or federal reimbursement for the cost. Communities around the region have used the program to put new racks at schools, libraries, parks, and shopping areas.
In 2007 MAPC also began work on the Regional Pedestrian Plan. This plan will identify policies to make walking a convenient, safe, and practical form of transportation throughout the region. Proposed solutions will include best practices for local jurisdictions as well as steps that could be taken by the state or by the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
MAPC has developed a web-based Parking Toolkit that addresses common parking issues. Cities and towns can learn how to do a parking study, how to reduce parking demand and manage supply, how to make use of existing parking, and how to finance parking improvements. The Parking Toolkit is the first in a series of Sustainable Transportation Toolkit products that MAPC will develop over the coming years. Visit http://transtoolkit.mapc.org to learn more.
On Beacon Hill
" Municipal Health Insurance: - MAPC and the Municipal Health Insurance Working Group built consensus and drafted the new law allowing cities and towns to save millions of dollars each year by joining the Group Insurance Commission.
" Shannon Community Safety Initiative: - Over the last two years, MAPC's advocacy and grant development services have helped nearly two dozen communities to secure over $2 million in funding for interdisciplinary programs that focus on youth violence, drugs, and enforcement against gangs.
" Statewide Population Estimates Program: - This will provide the State Estimates Program with more resources to prepare for the 2010 Census and will help correct the deficiencies of recent population estimates and prevent similar deficiencies from occurring in 2010.
" Zoning Reform: - The new zoning reform commission is now working to draft legislation dealing with such matters as "approval not required," grandfathering, consistency between master plans and zoning, and incentives to expand housing production.
The Inner Core
The Inner Core Committee consists of 20 communities in and around Boston of which Belmont is one. The Committee held 10 regular meetings in 2007 exchanging planning, land-use, and community development news from their communities and keeping abreast of and engaged in MAPC initiatives such as MetroFuture, legislation and transportation issues. Alongside multiple presentations by MAPC staff about various projects and initiatives, including MetroFuture and housing planning, the Committee hosted five guest speakers in 2007:
" Kurt Gaertner, Director of Land Use Policy for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and representative of the Zoning Reform Working Group, provided an update about the Land Use Reform Act and Community Preservation Act II.
" John Dalzell, AIA, LEED-AP, Senior Architect at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, provided an overview of the City of Boston's new Green Building Regulations and discussed the inter-departmental coordination needed to make the regulations successful.
" Kathy Spiegelman, Chief Planner for the Allston Development Group, presented Harvard University's Allston Master Plan, a 50-year plan for 200 acres of land and accounts for 9 to 10 million square feet of development.
" Pallavi Mande, Urban Restoration Specialist, and Kate Bowditch, Director of Projects for the Charles River Watershed Association, made a presentation about the Zakim North Project; a project to address urban stormwater issues by using Low Impact Development techniques and daylighting portions of the now buried Millers River.
" Emmy Hahn from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Program gave a presentation about Business Improvement Districts.
Respectfully submitted,
Marc D. Draisen, Executive Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
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