On the morning of December 2, 2008, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council heard remarks from Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, formally adopted the MetroFuture Implementation Strategies, and engaged in lively discussion to help prioritize among 10 near-term recommendations for change that are needed to achieve the MetroFuture vision.  This roadmap for change will guide much of MAPC’s work plan moving forward.

Through those discussions, which culminated in a keypad vote and opportunities for participants to give us qualitative feedback, MAPC gained a substantial amount of valuable input.  In summary:

• The vast majority of participants support a dramatic increase in the gas tax.
• Many saw zoning reform as both necessary and achievable within the next two years.
• Several municipalities have already developed capital plans for compact growth areas, but a lack of funds precludes their implementation.
• Improving access to fair and affordable housing was a major concern, and some participants saw the foreclosures crisis as an opportunity in this regard.
• Many supported aggressive action in pursuing climate change preparedness, reducing the region’s carbon footprint, and advocating for land and water resource conservation. 
• Some participants thought that issues such as pension reform and foreclosure prevention were among the timeliest recommendations, but some felt that they should be tackled by groups other than MAPC.
• Participants favored creating incentives for developers and businesses to choose “smart” locations, and better marketing for downtowns and brownfields in order to attract revitalization.
• There was a general call for compelling, straightforward communications and education about the benefits of these recommendations, and for cultivating champions for MetroFuture within decision making bodies.

Click here to download the Recommendations Workbook (PDF) that participants used as the basis for their discussion of priorities on December 2.

In May, the MAPC Council voted to adopt the goals and scenario of MetroFuture: Making a Greater Boston Region as the region’s official plan.  Not content with developing a plan just to see it “sit on the shelf,” MAPC staff have worked with its subregions, the MetroFuture Steering Committee, and experts from across the region to draft 13 implementation strategies that will together make the MetroFuture vision a reality.  These strategies include both short- and long-term action steps for planning, policy, and spending changes at all levels of government, and changes in practice in the private sector and individual households. 

Learn more about the strategies by browsing through the Implementation Strategies portion of this website, and tell us how you'd like to get involved in making change happen by submitting our online "Get Involved!" form.