As a founding member of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance (MSGA), CLF has helped to bring together seven nonprofit organizations to promote smart growth and reduce the negative impacts of urban sprawl in Massachusetts. Although these organizations represent a diverse set of interests, they all share a unifying vision of Massachusetts: healthy, diverse and prosperous communities; working landscapes and critical environmental resources protected from development; urban reinvestment and community development; transportation and housing choice and affordability; and regional equality and opportunity.

The Massachusetts landscape is dominated by sprawl. This is due to an alarmingly high rate of land consumption, not a rapidly growing population. In fact, land is consumed at a pace seven times that of the population growth rate.

Without careful planning, Massachusetts will see a dwindling water supply, loss of urban vitality, loss of open space and biodiversity, lack of housing choice and affordability, increased hours wasted in traffic, and loss of economic competitiveness with a declining quality of life. Only through a strong focus on smart growth can Massachusetts avoid these consequences.

Smart growth is about three questions: Where do we want to grow? How do we want to grow? How much do we want to grow? The MSGA strives to answer these questions while preserving our environment and promoting economic prosperity.

Introducing the Great Neighborhoods program [view PDF]

What would make your neighborhood great? Is it more jobs, better transportation choices, diverse housing opportunities, improved access to open spaces like parks and playgrounds? The Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance (MSGA) Great Neighborhoods program wants to help turn your community’s dreams into reality. The MSGA is looking to partner with community groups to develop initiatives that will build better neighborhoods in the Greater Boston area.

The MSGA wants to hear from you. To put your ideas into action, submit a letter of interest explaining your proposed project and how it will benefit your community by July 15, 2010. The letter should be no more than 2-3 pages in length.

What to include in your letter [view PDF]

• Name of your organization, initiative or municipality and appropriate contact information
• Nature of the proposed project or opportunity
• How the opportunity will promote smart growth development patterns in your area
• The types of tools or resources you need to achieve success
• Obstacles you face and how the MSGA might be able to help you overcome them
• Other partners involved in the initiative
• Ways in which community residents and other stakeholders have been or will be engaged in the opportunity

The MSGA can offer resources in a variety of capacities, including:

• Housing: financing expertise and access to capital, foreclosure prevention, acquisition and rehab, affordable housing outreach and education, how to mount a Community Preservation Act campaign, how to draft a Housing Production Plan
• Zoning: land-use analysis, assistance enacting Chapter 40R smart growth overlay districts, District Improvement Financing (DIF), form-based codes, design standards
• Equity/Inclusion: creating and marketing a welcoming community, development of an “analysis of impediments” strategy to identify and overcome barriers to fair housing and to create access to jobs; social and environmental justice assistance
• Transportation: preparing a project to apply for state and federal funds, parking and traffic analysis, walkability and biking studies, traffic mitigation and “traffic calming” measures
• Economic Development: developing and/or strengthening small and micro business programs aimed at local entrepreneurs and minority and woman-owned businesses, creating asset-building opportunities, assistance enacting 43D economic development districts, and support with mixed use development
• Natural Resource Protection: establishing low-impact development guidelines, identifying preservation priorities, developing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Planning and Community Participation: how to build sustainable civic engagement, how to design charrettes, using technology to enhance the participation process (e.g. visualization techniques, keypad voting, mapping)

After reviewing the applications, the MSGA will follow up with promising potential partners over the summer. In the fall, those who are selected as partners will sign a commitment letter, develop a joint workplan and budget, and begin their collaboration.

For more guidelines on writing your letter, click here. For more information on Great Neighborhoods, click here or contact  Andre Leroux, Executive Director of the MSGA, at (617) 263-1257 or at andre@ma-smartgowth.org .

Other Current Initiatives:

• Implementation of environmentally sound, equitable and effective solutions to Massachusetts' transportation infrastructure funding crisis.
• Review of state zoning laws to provide a system that meets economic development and housing demands while protecting our environment.
• Reform of Massachusetts water policy to ensure that the Commonwealth is not exhausing our water supply.
• Revitalization of gateway cities across the Commonwealth.
• Education about the linkages between growth and development and climate change.

Contact:

Peter Shelley
Director, Massachusetts Advocacy Center

Advocacy Documents:

• 6/16/10 - Great Neighborhoods Guidelines for Letters of Interest (PDF)
• 6/10 - Great Neighborhoods Background Information (PDF)
• 9/25/06 - Smart Growth Works for Massachusetts: Briefing Book for Gubernatorial Candidates (PDF)
• 6/16/06 - Legislature Backs Brownfields Revitalization with $30 million Recapitalization and Improved Tax Credits (PDF)
• 4/28/06 - House Budget Amendment Recapitalizes Brownfield Redevelopment Fund and Improves Tax Credit Provisions (PDF)
• 12/13/05 - Shared Destinies: A Smart Growth Agenda for Massachusetts (PDF)
• 10/27/05 - CLF Letter to MA Senators in Support of Brownfields Redevelopment Fund (PDF)
• 8/5/05 - MA Smart Growth Alliance Comments on 20-Year Transportation Plan (PDF)

More on Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance:

• Visit the Alliance's Website
• Brownfields Fact Sheet (PDF)

Press:

Contact CLF for additional press releases or materials.