Commonwealth of Massachusetts, South Coast Region, MA
Aligning transit investment and land use goals across Massachusetts’ fastest growing region
The South Coast Rail Economic Development and Land Use Corridor Plan is the result of a unique planning partnership among 31 Massachusetts communities, three regional planning entities, leading environmental advocacy groups and the state’s housing, economic development, and transportation agencies. As the commonwealth envisioned extending commuter rail service to this region of 750,000 people and the coastal cities of Fall River and New Bedford, the Corridor Plan serves as the primary vehicle for coordinating land use and transportation policies and investments.
The Corridor Plan established a regional framework for growth and conservation that reconciles state goals and priorities with local perspectives and values. Goody Clancy served as the lead consultant for the plan, establishing a successful process for state and local collaboration now used by the Commonwealth as its model in other regional initiatives.
Key aspects of the plan include:
- Preparation of a Corridor Map, a regional blueprint for coordinated land use planning that identifies priority areas for development and conservation, reflecting local, regional, and state priorities
- Preparation of concept-level Station Area Plans for a dozen stations in diverse rural, suburban, and urban contexts
- Development of technical tools and assistance, regulations, and policies at the local level to provide municipalities with the capacity to effectively manage anticipated growth
