This study looks at the ways in which Massachusetts communities employ regulatory tools and techniques to make their cluster, open space residential development and conservation subdivision laws more likely to be used by developers, up to and including ways of mandatory application. Such methods include regulatory relaxation, major residential development thresholds, dual submission requirements, density bonuses, and other techniques. The study is based upon 51 communities or laws in Massachusetts, 21 of which were analyzed in considerable depth, and included specific case studies. Some data were collected among all 351 municipalities.

Produced by UMASS Extension, the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and the Center for Rural Massachusetts.

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