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Regional Map Gallery |
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Explore MAPC's Annual Report and Calendar maps, illustrating conditions in the region and see whether the map you want may already exist.
Regional Map Gallery index by topic
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Maps from MAPC Annual Report and Calendar 2010 |
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The MAPC Region
This is a reference map for the following maps.
Download this map in PDF.
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Census 2010: Hard to Count Status
Census results determine the amount of money Massachusetts receives from the Federal government and the number of representatives we send to Washington.
According to the Brookings Institute, the Commonwealth is likely to receive more than $2,000 in federal aid for each person counted in the 2010 Census. For cities and towns, the Census is a critical demographic benchmark that sets the stage for ten years’ worth of planning.
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Local Unemployment Rates, 2007 – 2009
The economic downturn hit already-challenged areas hardest.
Unemployment rates are important indicators of the region's economy and job market. The unemployment rate is calculated as the percentage of the
labor force that is unemployed and looking for work.
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Local Option Taxes
More municipalities are using meals and hotel taxes to diversify their revenue.
In 2009, the Commonwealth gave municipalities the authority to adopt new or expanded local option taxes. These new options will help to diversify
municipal revenue sources, mitigating the impact of local aid cuts and property tax constraints.
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The Battle Road Scenic Byway: Road to Revolutions
One road, many revolutions!
The American Revolution started here. Classic literature was written here. The environmental movement was seeded here. Innovations in aerospace and
electronics technology were developed here.
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Community Preservation Act
State matching funds, key to CPA success, are waning.
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) helps cities and towns address specific core community concerns, including open space, recreation, historic preservation and affordable
housing. Communities raise funds by voting to assess a dedicated property tax surcharge, which is matched by the state from its CPA Trust Fund. Money for the trust fund comes from a
small surcharge on real estate transactions at each county's Registry of Deeds.
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MBTA Ridership
Seventeen million trips are made on the MBTA each month.
Each day, people take more than half a million trips on an MBTA subway, trolley or commuter train. The busiest station is Harvard Square, where
587,000 residents, workers, students and tourists board the Red Line in an average month, totaling nearly 20,000 per day. The greatest concentration
of boardings is downtown; more than 55,000 people enter Park Street, Downtown Crossing and South Station combined each day, accounting for 14
percent of all boardings on the subway system.
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Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
The state has a new plan for protection and sustainable use of our ocean resources.
In 2009, Massachusetts adopted a first-in-the-nation Ocean Management Plan. Why an Ocean Management Plan? Since colonial days, Massachusetts has been defined by its relationship
to the Atlantic through fishing, whaling, shipping, boating and culture. The Ocean Plan is a framework for managing the state's marine waters in the face of growing economic,
environmental and recreational interests.
Download this map in PDF.
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Massachusetts Smart Growth Zoning
Smart Growth Districts are catching on slowly across Eastern Massachusetts.
The Smart Growth Zoning and Housing Production Act (generally known as Chapter 40R) ofers fnancial incentives to encourage cities and towns to zone
for compact residential and mixed-use development in smart growth locations. Since 2004, 27 cities and towns have adopted 40R districts with zoning for up
to 9,780 housing units statewide, an increase of 9,000 permissible units as compared to the prior zoning.
Download this map in PDF.
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Passenger Vehicle Miles Travelled
Few of us love to spend time in traffic, but some households have to endure more of it than others.
According to odometer readings from annual safety inspections, non-commercial passenger vehicles registered in MAPC municipalities rack up more than
20 billion road miles each year, equivalent to 62 miles per day per household. With that amount of driving, it's no wonder that our highways are clogged, our
climate is warming, and our waistlines are expanding.
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Adult Obesity Estimates
Obesity is one of the most serious and prevalent public health concerns facing Massachusetts today.
Obesity increases the risk for many chronic and debilitating diseases, including Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and even some
cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity cost Massachusetts more than $1.8 billion in medical expenses alone in 2006,
not including indirect costs such time absent from work.
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Tax-Exempt Property
Cities and towns can't tax all their property owners.
Massachusetts municipalities have few revenue options and rely heavily on the property tax. Statewide, 53 percent of all municipal revenue comes from the
property tax, compared to a national average of 28 percent. This dependence on the property tax creates particular challenges in communities where major
properties are owned by tax-exempt organizations.
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Jobs in the Region - 1970 to 2008
The region's economic landscape has changed, but only slightly.
Employment in the MAPC region grew by 50 percent from 1970 to 2008, an increase of more than 600,000 jobs. Some communities grew much faster than others, but the
economic landscape has not changed dramatically. Seven of the top 10 communities in 1970 were still in the top 10 as of 2008.
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Maps from MAPC Annual Report and Calendar 2009 |
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Foreclosures and Loan Resets
This map shows that most seized homes or homes in foreclosure are in urban areas, where vacant and abandoned properties can destabilize neighborhoods and depress property values. However, suburban areas are not immune: more than 1,000 foreclosed or bank-owned properties (a quarter of the total) are in the region's 75 suburban municipalities.
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Regional Bike Rack Program
To help create more appropriate bike parking in the region, MAPC developed the Regional Bike Parking Program with funding and collaboration from the Boston Region MPO, the Executive Office of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. The program provides 100% reimbursement for the cost of eligible bike parking equipment bought through this program. As of October, 2008, 32 municipalities have subscribed to the program, and over 700 racks have been installed, with a parking capacity of almost 2,500 bicycles.
Download this map in PDF.
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The Lower Mystic River Corridor Project
To realize the full potential of the lower Mystic River, the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville have come together to plan for open space, access, appropriate development and improved water quality along the river.
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U.S. Census 2000 Mail-in Response Rates
Census 2000 mail-in response rates varied widely in our region. The highest response rate was found in a Westwood tract where 90% of
surveys were returned by mail. The tract with the lowest mail response rate (43%) is in a low-income Boston neighborhood. Tracts with lower
response rates generally include hard-to-count populations: students, new immigrants, and households where English is a second language.
Download this map in PDF.
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Mortgage Denial Rates
According to Federal lending data, mortgage denial rates for Black and Hispanic applicants in the MAPC region are more than twice as high as those for White applicants (41% versus 20%). This discrepancy cannot be attributed solely to differences in income. At all income levels, denial rates are at least 20% higher for Blacks and at least 15% higher for Hispanics than denial rates for Non-Hispanic Whites. Poor credit history or high debt-to-income ratio may explain these discrepancies, but racial discrimination may also play a role. Regardless of the cause, high mortgage
denial rates prevent minority families from accumulating assets.
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Subprime Lending Patterns
In the MAPC region, 58% of subprime loans in 2006 and 2007 were used to refinance existing mortgages. Only 39% of new subprime loans were used to purchase a home. Federal mortgage lending data confirm that Black and Hispanic borrowers in the MAPC region are more likely to receive high cost subprime mortgages than other borrowers, even when controlling for factors like income. During 2006 and 2007, 22% of loans to Blacks and 20% of loans to Hispanics came from subprime lenders, versus only 5% of loans to Non-HispanicWhites.
Download this map in PDF.
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Dam Restoration Potential
There are more than 450 dams in the MAPC region. While dams have historically provided many benefits, they can also have negative impacts on the region’s rivers and streams. The removal of unneeded and poorly maintained dams can improve the health of the region’s rivers and streams. The Riverways Program has developed a model to assess the environmental benefits that might result from dam removal, such as fewer barriers for wildlife, more free-flowing reaches, and improved water quality. The restoration rankings on this map are based on a statewide screening of more than 3,000 dams.
Download this map in PDF.
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Typical Water Bills
This map depicts the estimated annual water bill (2006) for a four-person household using approximately 62 gallons per person per day. In the MAPC region, estimated water bills range from $113 to $851; weighted by service population, the average is $398. In 61 municipalities, water suppliers charge incrementally more for each gallon as consumption increases. These "increasing block rates" help to discourage wasteful water use (such as unnecessary irrigation), but they do not necessarily mean higher bills for families using water wisely. The map also shows the municipalities with monthly billing and seasonal rate structures, two policies which can encourage water conservation.
Download this map in PDF.
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Recycling and Composting Rates
As of 2006, MAPC residents produced 1.7 million tons of municipal solid waste. Only 26% of this waste was recycled or composted, on par with
the state average of 25.5%. Two thirds of the region’s cities and towns diverted less than 25% of their waste to recycling or compost. Only
four municipalities had a recycling/composting rate higher than 50%. Cities and towns can encourage recycling by adopting a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) system for solid waste disposal. By charging residents a nominal fee per barrel or bag, PAYT programs relieve municipal budgets and create incentives for recycling and waste reduction. As a result, MAPC municipalities with PAYT programs had an average recycling rate of 42% in 2006, compared to 28% in municipalities that did not.
Download this map in PDF.
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Mixed-Use Zoning
Mixed-use zoning allows for the integration of housing, shops, offices, and entertainment in the same development. When applied well, mixed-use zoning supports more compact land uses, less auto dependency, and enhanced community character. As of 2008, three-quarters of MAPC municipalities have adopted some form of mixed-use zoning. However, 30 of those municipalities did not see any new development in those districts
over the period 2006 – 2008. Municipalities can promote market response by creating district plans with strong community consensus, and codifying those plans in "by-right" zoning with design guidelines or form-based codes.
Download this map in PDF.
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Asthma Hospitalizations and Smoking
The disease currently affects 146,000 children and nearly 500,000 adults in the Commonwealth. It is also becoming more common: from 2000 through 2007, the prevalence of asthma among adults increased 16%. The map shows that high rates of asthma-related hospitalization can be found in both urban and suburban areas. It also shows the prevelance of smoking in each municipality, since exposure to cigarette smoke is a key risk factor for asthma.
Download this map in PDF.
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Retail Parking Requirements
A shortage of parking spaces may discourage shoppers and create spillover effects, but an overabundance of parking encourages unnecessary driving, wastes valuable land, and increases stormwater runoff. This map shows the wide and largely unsystematic variation in parking requirements across the region. Based on current zoning, MAPC estimated the minimum number of parking spaces required per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for a single story retail building.
Download this map in PDF.
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Maps from MAPC Annual Report and Calendar 2008 |
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Renewable Energy: Cleaner Air and Cooler Planet
Massachusetts is ready to take a leading role in energy sustainability. The map shows some of the 600 clean power projects that have been funded through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) statewide.
Download this map in PDF.
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Housing Unit Growth, 2000 – 2006
Between 2000 and 2006, Metro Boston cities and towns permitted construction of 55,230 new housing units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Download this map in PDF.
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Community Preservation Act
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) helps cities and towns address three core community concerns: acquiring and preserving open space, protecting historic assets, and creating affordable housing.
Download this map in PDF.
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MetroFuture Growth Areas, 2000 – 2030
MetroFuture is the regional plan for development and preservation in Metropolitan Boston. The plan is built on the principles of smart growth. This generalized map shows some of the growth areas proposed by MetroFuture.
Download this map in PDF.
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MetroFuture Priority Conservation Areas
This map depicts the MetroFuture “Priority Conservation Areas”—those places where the region should focus its land preservation resources and discourage extensive development.
Download this map in PDF.
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Re-imagining Suburban Development
MAPC is building a toolbox for communities looking to revitalize their commercial areas and town centers. This page shows examples of visualizations created by MAPC to educate residents and build support for smart growth options.
Download this map in PDF.
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Preserving Regional Character
Smart growth can save this traditional New England scene from becoming Anyplace, USA. If current trends continue, many of our region’s special places will be lost to unplanned growth.
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Comprehensive Permits, 2000 – 2006
Comprehensive Permits are a controversial but significant component of the region’s housing production. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Real Estate recently traced 369 Comprehensive Permit applications in 113 municipalities in Eastern Massachusetts.
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Sidewalk Availability
Access to sidewalks influences how much we walk—and possibly how healthy we are. This map shows sidewalk availability throughout the region (excluding limited-access highways).
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Impervious Surfaces, 2005
Rain that lands on impervious surfaces (roadways, parking lots, and rooftops) quickly runs off into nearby streams and lakes. As impervious surfaces increase, so do the problems of pollution, erosion, and flooding.
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Education and the Labor Force
Growing the region’s economy means investing in its strongest asset: our workforce. Metro Boston’s well-educated population is fundamental to our civic life and our economy.
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Earthquakes and the Boston Region
Nevertheless, Massachusetts is more vulnerable to earthquakes than is commonly believed. This map shows the location, magnitude (where available), and year of earthquakes in our region.
Download this map in PDF.
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Maps from MAPC Annual Report and Calendar 2007 |
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New Tool Guides Smart Site Selection
Decision-makers can better identify sites for commercial and industrial development if they understand how infrastructure, zoning, and environmental factors interact.
Download this map in PDF.
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Weston Nurseries Study Shows Smart Growth Potential
Well-planned development can protect open space and maximize local revenues while minimizing negative impacts.
Download this map in PDF.
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Reducing Local Government Costs through Regional Cooperation
MAPC helps more than 300 municipalities save up to 20% on goods and services annually.
Download this map in PDF.
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Affordable Housing
Despite recent downturns in the housing market, housing costs in the Metro Boston area remain among the highest in the nation.
Download this map in PDF.
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Agricultural Resources
Local agricultural and farmers’ markets, while at risk, are still a vibrant part of the region’s food system.
Download this map in PDF.
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Summer Water Demand
Summer may be a time when “the fish are jumping and cotton is high”, but the picture is not so pretty when well pumps are straining and reservoirs are low.
Download this map in PDF.
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Location and Size of New Housing
Houses today are typically built on larger lots farther from the central city than they were in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Download this map in PDF.
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Heavy Traffic Affects Air Quality and Health
If you live, work, or attend school within 100 yards of a roadway carrying 100,000 or more vehicles per day, you are more likely to suffer from cardiac or pulmonary disease.
Download this map in PDF.
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Preparing for an Aging Population
As the baby boomers move into their 60s and beyond, the over-65 population will increase dramatically.
Download this map in PDF.
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Worst Motor Vehicle Crash Locations
In 2005, 131 people died in motor vehicle crashes in our region, and over 25,000 were injured. Most of these crashes were preventable.
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Natural Hazard Vulnerability and Preparedness
Recent flooding in Massachusetts underscores the need for cities and towns to prepare for natural hazards and take steps to mitigate potential damage.
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Maps from MAPC Annual Report and Calendar 2006 |
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Population Density
It is common sense that people live closer together in the cities than in the suburbs, but historical data show that this divergence is increasing.
Download this map in PDF.
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Job Density
Jobs, like residents, are concentrated in the area inside and along Route 128, with the highest job densities in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Quincy, and Lynn.
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North Shore Wind Resources
Massachusetts cities and towns are increasingly interested in wind power as a source of energy for meeting municipal power needs and as a possible source of revenue.
Download this map in PDF.
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Education Spending
Education is the largest single item within most municipal budgets, and in many cases, these
costs are growing at twice the rate of the total budget.
Download this map in PDF.
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Participation in METCO and School Choice
The Commonwealth has had to work to increase educational opportunities for all students.
Download this map in PDF.
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Access to Biking and Walking Trails
Off-road biking and walking trails provide excellent opportunities for commuting, recreation, and exercise.
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Summer Restrictions on Outdoor Water Use
All communities experience increased water demand in the summer months, mostly due to outdoor water use such as lawn watering, landscape irrigation, pools, and car washing.
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Residential Property Tax
Local governments are limited in the ways they can raise revenues to fund municipal budgets.
Download this map in PDF.
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Elementary School Walkability
Walking or biking to school can provide valuable exercise for elementary schoolchildren, as long as there are sidewalks and a school nearby.
Download this map in PDF.
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Most Common Origin of Foreign-Born Residents
We live in an incredibly diverse region.
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Projected Population Growth
The Boston metropolitan region is projected to grow slowly over the next 25 years.
Download this map in PDF.
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Projected Job Growth
MAPC has projected that the region’s jobs will grow approximately 4% from 2000-2010, about a quarter as fast as national job growth over the same period.
Download this map in PDF.
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General Population Statistics
Civic Vitality and Governance
Economy
Education
Environment and Recreation
Housing
Public Health
Public Safety
Transportion
Zoning and Land Use
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