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