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A regional planning studio led by Camille Barchers, assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, has won the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter’s 2025 student project award for its work on a climate action plan.

Barchers’ 2024 master of regional planning studio was honored for its “Comprehensive Climate Action Plan – Municipal Emissions Reduction Playbook,” a tool designed to help local planners in New Haven County, Connecticut identify and implement carbon-cutting strategies. 

The project is part of Impact 2050, a partnership among the UMass Master of Regional Planning and Civil Engineering programs, the South Central Regional Council of Governments and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. The effort engages municipal officials, regional planners and community representatives to shape a climate strategy that reflects the region’s environmental justice priorities.

Students receiving the award include Michael McNally ’27, Amelia Lavallee ’25, Krashang Giri Goswami ’26, Karl Tacheron ’26, Samikshya Dhami ’25, Claudia Cunningham ’25, Raquel Gaba ’25, Audrey Potash ’26 and Andrew MacDougall ’27.

The students authored the “Authority to Implement” section of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, expanding on a Priority Climate Action Plan written by students in Barchers’ 2023 cohort. Their playbook guides municipalities in aligning local action with regional and statewide emissions goals.

“I am so proud of last year’s studio for winning this award,” Barchers says. “Their innovative approach to supporting regional collaboration for emissions reduction is an important model for municipalities and states across the country.”