News

Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is seeking 2-3 additional communities under our Municipal Engagement Initiative. Municipal governments and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth are encouraged to apply. 

CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement Initiative helps communities build support for affordable housing production across the Commonwealth. CHAPA's Municipal Engagement staff works with municipalities and community groups on public education efforts in support of housing production efforts, with an emphasis on increasing affordable housing. Context-sensitive strategies will be developed. 

Applicants must submit an electronic application to Dana LeWinter, Director of Municipal Engagement, at dlewinter@chapa.org by 5 PM on Thurs., August 8, 2019. To learn more about the Initiative and to obtain an application, please go to CHAPA's Municipal Engagement Initiative webpage.   

The tenth anniversary edition of the WORKTECH New York conference featured an expert panel discussing how the city has changed in the past ten years –revealing four pillars of the urban experience that shape work and life

Just released: New research on local zoning and permitting for multi-family housing in Greater Boston was just released by the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance and six other organizations. Researcher Amy Dain examined regulations, plans and production in 100 cities and towns surrounding Boston.  The report outlines barriers in the form of policies and practices restricting housing production. 

Study sponsors: Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of Realtors, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, MassHousing, and Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

https://ma-smartgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/03/FINAL_Multi-Family_Housing_Report.pdf

BSC Group is looking to add a planner to our growing planning practice in our Worcester office. 5-10 years of experience. Opportunity to work on a variety of projects in a fun and supportive work environment. Please check-out our posting at:

https://www.bscgroup.com/careers/opportunities/planner/

The Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invites applications for a part-time lecturer in Transportation Planning. Initial appointment will be for two years with the potential for appointment extension. The appointment will begin in September 2019 or January 2020.

The Department seeks a dynamic, creative, experienced teacher with a record as a practicing professional in transportation planning. The position requires teaching two to three courses per year, participating in departmental committees, and serving as an academic and thesis advisor to students enrolled in the Master of City Planning program. The person hired will teach transportation planning skills and methods in workshop settings, and transportation/mobility subjects related to reflection on practice and theory (e.g. land use and transportation planning), through seminars and lectures.

Minimum Qualifications: A graduate (master) professional degree in urban planning, transportation, or related field is required; a PhD is desirable but not required. Minimum 3 years professional experience in transportation planning; prior teaching experience in professional development or at a graduate level; ability to teach in a cross disciplinary and dynamic setting that supports planners, designers and engineers.

Application Instructions: Applications should be submitted through the interfolio website:

http://apply.interfolio.com/61935

A complete application package includes: A cover letter summarizing expertise, professional approach to design, and courses the candidate is prepared to teach; a curriculum vita; examples of professional work and/or teaching (20 page max, not to exceed 10MB); and the names, affiliations, and email addresses of three references.

Review of applications will begin on May 1st and will continue until the position is filled.

For technical issues, please contact interfolio staff at 877-997-8807 or help@interfolio.com

Other questions can be directed to Sandra Elliott: sandrame@mit.edu. Please do not send materials by email.

Two positions are being advertised for CMRPC:

Transportation Data Analyst/Planner

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8zpe959erh0d58b/Mid%20level%20transportation%20data%20analyst%20%2004-2019.pdf?dl=0

Associate Planner 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bl0mtzd521xnbk1/Asssociate%20Planner%20RCCP%204.1.19.pdf?dl=0

"The Experimental City" is a documentary about the Minnesota Experimental City project, a futuristic attempt to solve urban problems by creating a full-size city from scratch in the isolated woods of northern Minnesota.  At the heart of the story is renowned scientist, inventor and comic-strip author Athelstan Spilhaus, who dreams of a new kind of planned city -- a truly experimental city that continuously changes to find workable urban solutions.  This new city would employ the newest technologies in communications, transport, pollution control, energy supply -- even large-scale domed enclosure -- in an attempt to create more livable cities for the 21st Century.

It was a compelling vision, with powerful backers, hundreds of experts, and its own state agency.  But not everyone fell in line with this newfangled vision for the future...

Sponsored by the Department of Urban Studies & Planning (DUSP) and the Massachusetts Association for Consulting Planners (MACP), with movie snacks and opportunities to network with urban planners and colleagues before/after the show.

More information available here.

Curbed Architecture Critic Alexandra Lange provides everything you need to know about the $25 billion, "city within the city" that opened to the public in Manhattan today. Also, the review isn't exactly positive.

Carol Thomas, founding  member of MACP, first woman to be president of AICP,  professor,  mentor, friend, and colleague, has died.  A planner for over 70 years, Carol was a leader in the profession and inspired many. 

A memorial service will be held  Sat., July 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Church Boston, corner of Marlborough and Berkeley streets, Boston.

Carol Thomas in China, 1991 (John DePriest, photo)

At the 2019 CPTC conference, on Saturday March 16, 2019, planning directors and planning board representatives learned from MACP members the nuts and bolts and tips on how to write an RFP for professional services that complies with Ch. 30B regulations, accurately represents what services and deliverable are desired, and attracts responsive and high-quality proposals for professional planning services.

See the link below to download the presentation.

MACP_RFP CPTC_20190316.pdf