CONSULTING PLANNERS OF MASSACHUSETTS

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  • Wednesday, September 08, 2021 9:26 AM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    CPM member Carol Todreas notes that the retail sector is still in a mode of customer discovery. Consulting Planners can read Carol’s findings and examples at “The retail landscape: Ever-adapting” published on the New England Real Estate Journal.

    Carol Todreas is a long-time member of Consulting Planners of Massachusetts and a principal at Todreas Hanley Associates, Cambridge, Mass.

  • Tuesday, August 31, 2021 5:23 PM | Anonymous

    The 2021 Neighborhood Symposium will bring together professionals from housing, public health, government and other fields for a series of in-depth conversations on topics of particular interest for Massachusetts' 26 Gateway Cities. 

    This kickoff session, Healthy and Affordable Homes, starts at 10:00 a.m.

    See full four-session symposium lineup and register at https://masshousing.com/programs-outreach/neighborhood-hub/symposium-2021 

  • Wednesday, August 18, 2021 7:42 PM | Michaela Morse (Administrator)

    Mark Favermann, urban designer, public artist, CPM member and designer of CPM's new logo, recently published a commentary on the visual branding of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Arts Fuse. In the article he discusses the design process of the Tokyo Olympics' official logo and supporting imagery, and comments on the largely uninspiring results. 

    "Dull, flat, and boring, with no discernible personality, the Olympics 2020 graphics made no impact on anyone other than, perhaps, their creator/developers and maybe a (very) few members of the host committee." Favermann writes.

    Favermann, who worked on the visual design of the 1996 Centennial Games in Atlanta, also reviews the history of Olympic graphic designs throughout the past century. He explains, "the 'Look of the Games' is seen to be a strategic part of Olympic planning," offering a view of the complex development process that involves commissioning an official logo, designing sports-specific images, creating supplemental signage for venues and streetscapes, and navigating local and group politics.

    Read the full commentary on Arts Fuse. Mark Favermann is Associate Editor of The Arts Fuse and publishes articles regularly.

  • Tuesday, August 17, 2021 5:50 PM | Anonymous


    The City of Salem, Salem Preservation Partners and the Newport Restoration Foundation  are hosting a two-day workshop Sept. 13 and 14 on addressing climate change impacts to historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods.

    This two-day workshop will include both in-person and live-streamed events. Keynote address by Erin Minnigan of the Preservation Society of Charleston on adaptation strategies used in Charlestown to protect its history and culture. See the program schedule at https://historyabovewater.org/2021-salem/ and sign up to attend in person (first come, first served) or virtually.  FREE.

    Where: Morse Auditorium, Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., Salem, or virtual.

    Register:  https://historyabovewater.org/2021-salem/

  • Friday, July 16, 2021 12:01 PM | Anonymous

    To register:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsdOqsqTsoHNOYhs1ylc-5sXCmiVP0XJF3

    Questions? Email us at communications@apa-ma.org  One CM Credit Available

  • Friday, June 18, 2021 4:31 PM | Michaela Morse (Administrator)

    On Wednesday, June 16th, 2021, the Governor Charlie Baker signed An Act Relative to Extending Certain COVID-19 Measures Adopted During the State of Emergency. Several key provisions of the bill are listed are below; for more detail, visit the recent blog post on NAIOPma.org.

    • State and local public entities can conduct remote public meetings until April 20, 2022, extending remote public meeting legislation that expired after midnight on June 15th. 
    • As a reminder: Advisory committees, planning subcommittees and other non-official public bodies are not required to follow the same legislation when it comes to holding public meetings; they will be able to continue holding meetings in whatever format they prefer beyond the extension outlined in this act.
    • Notarization procedures can remain remote through December 15, 2021. These provisions were set to expire three days after the end of the State of Emergency.

    • Current residential evictions procedures were extended:
    • If the tenancy is being terminated for (i) the non-payment of rent for a residential dwelling unit, (ii) the non-payment of rent due to financial hardship related to or exacerbated by the COVID-19 emergency, or (iii) the defendant demonstrates a pending application for short-term emergency rental assistance, the court shall grant a continuance for a period as the court may deem just and reasonable, through April 1, 2022.
    • Landlord notification requirements relating to the issuance of a Notice to Quit, as well as a report detailing all activities of the Governor's Eviction Diversion Initiatives will be submitted through January 1, 2023.
    • Special permits related to outdoor dinging were extended through April 21, 2022.
    • To-go wine, beer and cocktail sales were extended through May 1, 2022. Additionally, all takeout and delivery drinks must be sold at the same price as those consumed on-site.

    Post-State of Emergency State Permitting Guidance Issued

    Following the declaration of the State of Emergency in March 2020, Governor Baker issued COVID-19 Order No. 42, Order Resuming State Permitting Deadlines and Continuing to Extend the Validity of Certain State Permits. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development have now issued guidance to clarify how Order 42 will apply to state permits after the end of the State of Emergency.

     


  • Friday, April 16, 2021 12:38 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    The unanimous vote kickstarts a 2-year-long process which would see about 9,000 more housing units at various income levels built over the next several years.

    https://www.berkeleyside.com/2021/03/25/berkeley-single-family-zoning-city-council-general-plan-change

  • Tuesday, April 06, 2021 10:01 AM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    The city of Boston will undertake an experiment about how to center public transit as an economic recovery tool.

    https://www.planetizen.com/node/112813?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04052021&mc_cid=dfe9c9f251&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

  • Tuesday, April 06, 2021 9:58 AM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    Local leaders in Virginia are banking on mall redevelopment projects to revive their tax bases and create more mixed-use neighborhoods.

    https://www.planetizen.com/node/112814?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-04052021&mc_cid=dfe9c9f251&mc_eid=b9p0fICGm0

  • Wednesday, March 10, 2021 9:34 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    "Cities around the world are reconfiguring their urban grids to support local communities and economies. Boston should do it too.

    OVER THE PAST YEAR COVID-19 HAS FORCED DRAMATIC CHANGES in our communities, especially when it comes to outdoor public places. Gyms moved fitness classes into parks. Retailers found new opportunities for "sidewalk sales." Restaurants claimed parking spaces and roadways for outdoor dining service. And in the process, we've sensed how much better our cities and local economies can be after the pandemic.

    We hear less traffic on city streets and are exposed to lower levels of harmful pollutants. And we’ve gained an entirely new way of thinking about space in our cities and towns."

    https://apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/graphics/2021/03/superblocks/


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