Commonwealth's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit

Commonwealth's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit
Name	Commonwealth's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit
Type	Policy toolkit
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Launched	2009
Administered by	Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Website	(see state portals)

Contents

Commonwealth's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit

The Commonwealth's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit is a planning and policy resource produced for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to integrate land use and energy planning. It synthesizes guidance from statutory instruments such as the Green Communities Act (Massachusetts), programs administered by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and regional initiatives linked to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Overview

The Toolkit consolidates technical assistance from agencies including the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to support municipal adoption of policies aligned with state statutes like the Global Warming Solutions Act (2008), Executive Order 484, and grant programs such as Community Compact and Green Communities program. It references planning authorities including the Cape Cod Commission, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and integrates best practices from federal examples like the United States Department of Energy model programs and the Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth principles.

The Toolkit emphasizes objectives reflected in landmark initiatives such as Smart Growth Network, Sustainable Communities Initiative, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and frameworks from the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Goals include climate mitigation under Paris Agreement-aligned strategies, resilience akin to Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance, equitable development inspired by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs, and energy efficiency modeled on Energy Star and ASHRAE standards. Principles draw on urban examples from Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, and regional collaborations like the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Regional Plan Association.

The Toolkit provides model bylaws, checklists, mapping protocols, and technical resources referencing agencies and disciplines such as MassGIS, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Transportation modal planning, and finance instruments including Community Preservation Act (Massachusetts), Tax Increment Financing, and grant mechanisms like Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER). Components include energy mapping compatible with ISO New England data, zoning templates reflecting precedents in Somerville, Massachusetts, Newton, Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts, and incentive designs informed by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center programs and Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust Fund practices.

Implementation guidance cites project management approaches used by the Massachusetts Port Authority, procurement pathways resembling Massachusetts School Building Authority procedures, and procurement models from National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It recommends engagement processes similar to Public Participation Playbook (EPA) and stakeholder convenings seen in Boston Planning & Development Agency proceedings. Legal review aligns with case law and statutes like the Massachusetts Zoning Act and coordination with agencies such as the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for land-use compatibility.

The Toolkit documents pilot projects and case studies from municipalities and institutions including Boston, Brockton, Framingham, Quincy, Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts, university partners such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, UMass Amherst, and health and transit partners like Massachusetts General Hospital and Keolis Commuter Services. It cites redevelopment examples drawing on financing models used in projects at Seaport District (Boston), Cambridge Crossing, Union Square (Somerville), and transit-oriented projects near Alewife (MBTA station), Wollaston station, and South Station. Energy pilots reference deployments documented by Eversource Energy, National Grid, NSTAR, and microgrid pilots aligned with Department of Energy demonstration programs.

Stakeholder roles include municipal officials from boards such as Planning Board (Massachusetts), Conservation Commission (Massachusetts), elected leaders exemplified by Mayor of Boston offices, regional planning agencies like the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, utilities including Eversource Energy and National Grid, community development corporations such as MassHousing, nonprofit partners like Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Environmental League of Massachusetts, and funders including Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and philanthropic actors such as Barr Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. Collaboration frameworks reference multi-party templates similar to New Economy Connecticut partnerships and interagency task forces like the Governor’s Council on Energy models.

Evaluation methods follow performance metrics akin to those used by MassDOT, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and federal programs including the Federal Highway Administration performance measures, alongside greenhouse gas accounting consistent with Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative reporting and Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act compliance. Updates to the Toolkit are coordinated through state planning cycles, legislative changes in the Massachusetts General Court, and technical revisions influenced by research from institutions such as Tufts University, Harvard Kennedy School, Northeastern University, Boston University, Brandeis University, and policy analysis groups like Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and The Urban Institute.

Category:Planning tools