The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning agency for the 101 cities and towns of Greater Boston, serving people who live and work across the region. Established in 1963 under Massachusetts law, it is a public agency governed by municipal representatives, gubernatorial appointees and public-agency designees. 15
Based at 60 Temple Place in Boston, MAPC employs about 100 staff across planning disciplines. Its executive director is Lizzi Weyant, appointed in September 2025 after serving as acting director; she succeeded Marc Draisen, who retired after 22 years in the role. 1512
MAPC’s work spans regional planning, data and analysis, technical assistance to municipalities, and funding for local projects. Its stated priorities include housing, climate resilience, public health, equity, transportation, land use and economic development. The regional plan, MetroCommon 2050, provides a framework for these efforts, while MAPC’s Technical Assistance Program helps municipalities take on projects they may lack capacity to deliver alone. 17
Recent initiatives illustrate the agency’s practical focus. In 2026, MAPC awarded $512,490 to 20 municipal and regional projects addressing housing production, climate resilience, and wealth and health equity. It also launched a pilot solar-powered electric-vehicle carshare service in Framingham, intended to extend access to areas underserved by carsharing. 713 Earlier climate work included grants for municipal resilience projects and support for local climate-action plans across Greater Boston. 11