Past Events

Please join us online for a special forum previewing a Gateway City creative placemaking policy agenda outlined in a new MassINC report. Building Vibrancy: Creative Placemaking Strategies for Gateway City Growth and Renewal is scheduled for release August 2nd. This short online forum will feature: Mayor Alex Morse on recent efforts to pursue economic development through creative placemaking in Holyoke. Matt Wilson, the Executive Director of MASSCreative, the newly formed advocacy organization for the arts and cultural community, on initiatives to build political support…

This event is hosted by the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission and will feature Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, MBTA Acting General Manager Jon Davis, MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola, MVRTA Executive Director Joe Costanzo, MVPC Transportation Program Manager Tony Komornick, State Senator Thomas McGee, MassINC research director Ben Forman, and T4Massachusetts Director Christina Egan. This forum is the lastest in a series of regional transportation finance discussions Research Director Ben Forman has participated in around the state. Click here to register.

Slideshow from the Creative Placemaking Summit https://www.youtube.com/embed/uW4qokq2W9E By The Word Syndicate Thanks to our webcast sponsors: Webcast Replay (in four parts) This day long conference will bring together leaders from 12 Gateway Cities to explore how to utilize arts and culture initiatives as key economic drivers. The day includes: Remarks by Lt. Governor Tim Murray, and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus Author, “Creative Placemaking” – White Paper for The Mayor’s Institute on City Design, National Endowment for the Arts; A mayors’ roundtable including Fitchburg…

This event, hosted by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, will examine the Pioneer Valley region's over $1B of highway and transit investment needs; ever-widening funding assistance gaps; and potential new financing mechanisms which could help the Pioneer Valley to maintain its high level of transportation mobility while supporting sustained economic competitiveness and progress.As part of this event, the key findings and recommendations of a recent MassINC research report entitled, "Moving Forward with Funding: New strategies to support transportation and balanced…

This event is being hosted by the Boston Society of Architects. Click here for more info. Reinventing small, older industrial cities for the 21st century requires sizeable public intervention, but these so-called “Gateway” cities lack the political capital to draw sufficient public investment. MassINC research director Benjamin Forman is our guest speaker when the Placemaking Network meets on February 27 at noon at BSA Space (290 Congress Street, Boston). He will describe new placemaking policy opportunities around which effective political…

Home Funders Breakfast Forum While Massachusetts has been at the forefront of affordable housing production, the availability of permanent housing for homeless and other extremely low income families remains a serious challenge. Please join us as we explore how permanent housing for these families provides the platform for positive changes in health, education, employment and asset-building. In a new Home Funders' video that will be aired at the forum, two families will share their stories about how a safe and…

Click here to register! UPDATED: A presentation and panel discussion will explore the effectiveness of the Occupy movement in addressing the top concerns of the next generation. The event begins with a presentation of new polling information that suggests that jobs and the economy have sharply risen as quality of life priorities in Massachusetts.  The poll numbers will be released Wednesday, December 7. Upon arrival, participants will be asked whether they agree or disagree with the framing question by choosing seats on either…

On November 10, 2011 CommonWealth magazine brought together the stars of Massachusetts’ media, politics and civic life and 500 guests for a bi-partisan celebration of politics, pundits and the press. The event at the Kennedy Library included a cocktail party, dinner, and program providing a long overdue opportunity for some non-partisan political fun where humor and humility reigned supreme. Special guests included political leaders, the area’s top journalists, and other good sports that paid tribute to the seriously funny world…