Massachusetts is divided into a network of 13 regional planning agencies (RPAs). These public organizations serve the local governments and citizens within their individual districts through planning, policymaking, and other responsibilities. Notably, they also address issues involving transportation, infrastructure development/maintenance (e.g. streetlights), and environmental stewardship.
DarkSky Mass is attempting to connect with RPAs across the Commonwealth. We’re seeking volunteers who can keep tabs on RPA projects such as street lighting and also to represent DarkSky Mass when direct engagement is desirable.
Is this something you’d be willing to do? If so, please contact James Lowenthal (jamesastron at gmail dot com) or Kelly Beatty (kbeatty at darksky dot org).
Meanwhile scroll through the list below to determine which RPA represents your community.
Merrimack Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC)
Amesbury • Andover • Boxford • Georgetown • Groveland • Haverhill • Lawrence • Merrimac • Methuen • Newbury • Newburyport • North Andover • Rowley • Salisbury • West Newbury
Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG)
Billerica • Chelmsford • Dracut • Dunstable • Lowell • Pepperell • Tewksbury • Tyngsborough • Westford
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC)
Ashburnham • Ashby • Athol • Ayer • Clinton • Devens • Fitchburg • Gardner • Groton • Harvard • Hubbardston • Lancaster • Leominster • Lunenburg • Petersham • Phillipston • Royalston • Shirley • Sterling • Templeton • Townsend • Westminster • Winchendon
Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG)
Ashfield • Bernardston • Buckland • Charlemont • Colrain • Conway • Deerfield • Erving • Gill • Greenfield • Hawley • Heath • Leverett • Leyden • Monroe • Montague • New Salem • Northfield • Orange • Rowe • Sheffield • Shelburne • Shutesbury • Sunderland • Warwick • Wendell • Whately
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC)
Adams • Alford • Becket • Cheshire • Clarksburg • Dalton • Egremont • Florida • Great Barrington • Hancock • Hindsdale • Lanesborough • Lee • Monterey • Mount Washington • New Ashford • New Marlborough • North Adams • Otis • Peru • Pittsfield • Richmond • Sandisfield • Savoy • Sheffield • Stockbridge • Tyringham • Washington • West Stockbridge • Williamstown • Windsor
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC)
Agawam • Amherst • Belchertown • Blanford • Brimfield • Chester • Chesterfield • Chicopee • Cummington • East Hampton • East Longmeadow • Goshen • Granby • Granville • Hadley • Hampden • Hatfield • Holland • Holyoke • Huntington • Longmeadow • Ludlow • Middlefield • Monson • Montgomery • Northampton • Palmer • Pelham • Plainfield • Russell • South Hadley • Southampton • Southwick • Springfield • Tolland • Wales • Ware • West Springfield • Westfield • Westhampton • Wibraham • Williamsburg • Worthington
Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC)
Auburn • Barre • Berlin • Blackstone • Boylston • Brookfield • Charlton • Douglas • Dudley • East Brookfield • Grafton • Hardwick • Holden • Hopedale • Leicester • Mendon • Millbury • Millville • New Braintree • North Brookfield • Northborough • Northbridge • Oakham • Oxford • Paxton • Princeton • Rutland • Shrewsbury • Southbridge • Spencer • Sturbridge • Sutton • Upton • Uxbridge • Warren • Webster • West Boylston • West Brookfield • Westborough • Worcester
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Acton • Arlington • Ashland • Bedford • Bellingham • Belmont • Beverly • Bolton • Boston • Boxborough • Braintree • Brookline • Burlington • Cambridge • Canton • Carlisle • Chelsea • Cohasset • Concord • Danvers • Dedham • Dover • Duxbury* • Essex • Everett • Foxborough • Framingham • Franklin • Gloucester • Hamilton • Hanover • Hingham • Holbrook • Holliston • Hopkinton • Hudson • Hull • Ipswich • Lexington • Lincoln • Littleton • Lynn • Lynnfield • Malden • Manchester by the Sea • Marblehead • Marlborough • Marshfield • Maynard • Medfield • Medford • Medway • Melrose • Middleton • Milford • Millis • Milton • Nahant • Natick • Needham • Newton • Norfolk • North Reading • Norwell • Norwood • Peabody • Pembroke • Quincy • Randolph • Reading • Revere • Rockland • Rockport • Salem • Saugus • Scituate • Sharon • Sherborn • Somerville • Southborough • Stoneham • Stoughton • Stow • Sudbury • Swampscott • Topsfield • Wakefield • Walpole • Waltham • Watertown • Wayland • Wellesley • Wenham • Weston • Westwood • Weymouth • Wilmington • Winchester • Winthrop • Woburn • Wrentham
Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC)
Abington • Avon • Bridgewater • Brockton • Duxbury • East Bridgewater • Easton • Halifax • Hanson • Kingston • Pembroke • Plymouth • Plympton • Stoughton • West Bridgewater • Whitman
Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)
Acushnet • Attleboro • Berkley • Carver • Dartmouth • Dighton • Fairhaven • Fall River • Freetown • Lakeville • Mansfield • Marion • Mattapoisett • Middleborough • New Bedford • North Attleboro • Norton • Plainville • Raynham • Rehoboth • Rochester • Seekonk • Somerset • Swansea • Taunton • Wareham • Westport
Cape Cod Commission (CCC)
Barnstable • Bourne • Brewster • Chatham • Dennis • Eastham • Falmouth • Harwich • Mashpee • Orleans • Provincetown • Sandwich • Truro • Wellfleet • Yarmouth
Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC)
Aquinnah • Chilmark • Edgartown • Gosnold • Oak Bluffs • Tisbury • West Tisbury
Nantucket Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission (NP&EDC)
Coskata • Madaket • Polpis • Quidnet • Siasconset • Surfside • Wauwinet