PlaceMatters assisted the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) with their update to MetroPlan, the 1990 regional plan for Metropolitan Boston, which covers 101 cities and towns in northeastern Massachusetts. PlaceMatters' work on the visioning process, incorporating a wide range of people, organizations, and public participation tools, resulted in a “tapestry of visions” that celebrates the diversity in place and opinion.

The MetroFuture project proceeded in several phases, starting with visioning. Led by a Process Design Committee in 2002, working groups planned six separate project components: public involvement, leadership dialogues, data and decision support tools, media and communications, planning, and governance/steering. A steering committee, mostly comprised of participants who were involved early in the project, drove the project. The first phase of the project involved preliminary visioning and creation of integrated scenarios for the region.  A public comment period helped the MAPC decide on a preferred scenario that it is working with communities to implement.

PlaceMatters' role in the project was to assist with the visioning process. This process was designed to gain a sense of citizens’ visions and feel for the entire Metro Boston region as well as their individual communities. The project solicited information in many ways and with a distinct attempt to gather the opinions of minorities and underrepresented groups. Methods included multi-lingual visioning sessions in minority communities; activities with school groups and youth centers; and charrettes and surveys conducted across the region.

Concrete ideas resulting from the visioning process were divided into five major categories: People and Communities; Buildings and Landscapes; Air, Water and Wildlife; Getting Around; and Prosperity. The Buildings and Landscapes category specifically addresses how projected growth will impact community character. 

Additional Information

Project Website: www.metrofuture.org
MAPC: www.mapc.org
Barr Foundation: www.barrfoundation.org
Boston Foundation: www.tbf.org
Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization: www.ctps.org/bostonmpo
Garfield Foundation: www.garfieldfoundation.org

Documents:

• The Resonance of Regionalism: A Report on MetroFuture Polling and Survey Efforts - MAPC employed two approaches to polling and survey efforts; a scientific telephone poll conducted by UMass Boston and a more informal survey effort administered by MAPC staff and project partners at various events throughout the region and in local newspapers.
• A Tapestry of Visions: A Findings Report Summarizing Results of the MetroFuture Visioning Workshops - MetroFuture staff organized workshops in each of MAPC's eight subregions and publicized these events through local representatives, municipal officers, partner organizations, and local press. Additionally the team held a series of workshops to involve traditionally underrepresented groups.
• Starting Points for a Regional Vision: A Review of Municipal Plans in Metropolitan Boston - MAPC conducted a review of municipal planning documents from the 101 cities and towns in its region. The review identified the major goals and objectives of these plans, assessed prominent concerns with regard to growth and development, and evaluated what strategies are favored to address these concerns.

Location: Boston Metropolitan Area
Client: Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Project Website: www.metrofuture.org
Project Leaders: MAPC, PlaceMatters
Project Partners: MAPC
Supporters/Funders: Barr Foundation, Boston Foundation, Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, Garfield Foundation
Demographics:
Keywords/Themes: Visioning