Organizations
American
Planning Association
Home page of the APA. Contains general
information as well as publication lists.
UMass Amherst Dpt. of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) regularly brings faculty and student resources to local communities.
Massachusetts Municipal Association
The MMA is a non-profit nonpartisan organization that provides advocacy, research and other services to Massachusetts cities and towns.
University of Massachusetts Extension
UMass Extension's mission is to serve the public through the creation, communication and application of knowledge; with a commitment to public learning, pluralism, participation, connectedness, and innovation in all outreach programs.
The Center for Rural Massachusetts (CRM)
A collaborative effort of the University of Massachusetts Extension, via its Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Program (NREC), and the UMass Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning (LARP).
The Center for Rural Massachusetts is actively involved in ongoing projects related to more effective planning for rural and smaller communities and regions.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Home page of the Lincoln Land Institute, a non-profit land use policy organization located in Cambridge, MA. Contains an on-line publication catalog.
Mass Law has weekly updates on legal issues and cases in Massachusetts. Legal documents can also be found by searching this web site.
Center for Economic Development (CED)
The Center for Economic Development assists cities, towns and organizations to retain and expand their employment base.
City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association
Massachusetts Federation of Planning and Appeals Boards
The MA Federation of Planning and Appeals Boards does not currently have a web site but is an excellent resource for planning and zoning information. Call 508-754-3068.
Regional Planning Agencies, Councils and Commisions
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission
OCPC (Old Colony Planning Council)
Berkshire County Regional Planning
Martha's Vineyard Commission
Mr. Charles Clifford, Executive Director
Old Stone Bldg., New York Ave.
P.O. Box 1447 Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
Phone: 1-508-693-3453 Fax: 1-508-693-7894
Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission
1 East Chestnut Street,
Nantucket MA 02554
Phone: 508/228-7237 FAX: 508/228-7236
NMCG (Northern Middlesex Council of Governments)
Mr. Robert M. Flynn, Executive Director 115 Thorndike Street
Lowell, MA 01852 Phone: 1-978-454-8021
Government
MAGNET
Massachusetts Government on-line home page, a lot of useful information for citizen planners.
Municipal Law Unit of the MA Attorney General's Office
Community Preservation Initiative
Homepage for all the useful tools offered through EOEA's Community Preservation Program.
Census2000 Information:
MA Institute of Social and Economic Research: MISER
Want to go through Mass GIS?
Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development
This U.S. Department of Energy project contains information to help local officials and citizens in sustainable development. Publications, model ordinances, reports, videos and plans can be found here.
Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Municipal Data Bank, has useful informtion on municipal ropertytaxes, financial indicators, socioeconoic data and cherry sheetsfor every town in Massachusetts.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts HUD CPD Consolidated Plan addresses the major housing and community development needs in the state's non-entitlement communities, and includes a description of the federal and state resources which will be used to meet the identified needs. Also, the HUD Consolidated plans for towns in Massachusetts.
Blackstone Valley Institute has many tools for good local planning
MA Office for Commonwealth Development (OCD)
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHDC)
General Planning
Planning Commissioners Journal Citizen Planner Resource Center
An excellent resource for the citizen planner.
Includes articles, electronic resources and sites of interest.
Smart Growth and Livable Communities
Center for Livable
Communities
Smart Growth news and resources with lots of links
For open space residential subdivisions, go to Green Neighborhoods
The mother of all planning portals: Cyburbia
All the Links you would ever want at About Planning
