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Welcome to our engagement platform for city projects! Register to use our interactive tools.

The Mayor&rsquo;s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will be working to update the City&rsquo;s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) in the coming months. This document will guide the next seven years of City work on parks, sports fields, open space, conservation land, and recreational programming. It is important that we hear from YOU! Your participation will reveal what matters to the residents of Somerville. We want our goals to meet your needs. The OSRP &quot;Action Plan&quot; will emerge directly from conversations with City staff, data analysis, and community outreach. So get involved! Stay up to date! Next steps?* Follow this project to stay informed and to learn about opportunities to participate.* Check out our past OSRP and see what mattered to constituents in 2016. * Share an idea below about what open space amenities you wish we had in Somerville!

Open Space and Recreation Plan Update

The City of Somerville is piloting the planting of a micro-forest using the Miyawaki method and we need your support! What is the Miyawaki method, you ask?Dr. Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021) was a botanist and ecologist in Japan who sought to restore layered forests, especially in degraded areas. He advocated for the protection of native forests and saw their value to humans, non-humans, including their role in minimizing the impacts of intense weather events. He believed it was important to foster species that were native to an area and to mimic the behaviors of plants that grow naturally in a forest. The technique he developed, now called the Miyawaki method, encourages quick growth by densely planting 30-50 species in a small area. This arrangement is inspired by natural forest behavior where species grow taller and more robust through competition for sun, water, and nutrients. The result of this high-density, native planting is a mature forest in as few as 20-30 years that is well adapted for our region.Miyawaki forests have been planted all over the world and are extremely biodiverse, require little maintenance, and are installed on small pockets of land. Very quickly, we can bring a forest to our densely developed city!Planting small, dense forests is not a typical practice in cities in the United States. Each time a city or town does so, we learn a little more about ways to make our urban lands resilient, livable, and beautiful. Each strategy we use to increase our tree canopy creates resilience to heat extremes, reduces air pollution, captures carbon dioxide, and provides a home for birds and pollinators. This is a pilot project and we will use this experience to learn about the efficacy of micro-forests and the Miyawaki method in our region. Get Involved!This page will be your source for project updates, for information about opportunities to participate, as well as a place to ask questions or leave comments. We will need volunteers to help plant and care for this forest in the first two-three years until it becomes self-sufficient. Please stay informed and see the tabs below for other ways to engage.

Urban Micro-Forest (Miyawaki)

The City of Somerville&rsquo;s Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) Division is working to transform 217 Somerville Avenue, a vacant lot at the corner of Somerville Avenue and Rossmore Street, into a new pocket park. This parcel will add approximately .15 acres to Somerville&rsquo;s open space network as a pocket-park. The City&rsquo;s PSUF Division will lead a community process and hire a professional landscape architect to develop the park design and construction documents. The construction phase of 217 Somerville Avenue is intended to immediately follow the completion of design.

217 Somerville Avenue Pocket Park

<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-us-california/34fb39d06693065cf8956600999699e78150004c/original/1684873754/90a98b246d52127f66896ec7a470e12b_Prospect_Hill_DigitalEquity.png?1684873754" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-fil">The City of Somerville and the <a href="https://www.mapc.org/our-work/expertise/digital-equity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)</a> are developing a Digital Equity Plan, as part of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute&#39;s <a href="https://broadband.masstech.org/municipal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program</a>. The planning process involves four main phases:Existing Conditions Assessment and Data Analysis: May - June, 2023In this phase, MAPC&#39;s Data Analytics team will collect and analyze existing data relating to digital access from local, state, and federal sources. This phase also includes mapping of existing broadband infrastructure and of social infrastructure which exists to support digital literacy at community institutions like libraries, schools, community centers, and others. Community Engagement and Qualitative Research: July - August, 2023After completing initial data analysis, MAPC&#39;s Community Engagement team and the City staff will conduct a comprehensive community engagement process. This process will consist of survey research (conducted in-person as well as online), interviews and focus groups, and public events to contextualize the results of our data analysis with the lived experience of Somerville residents.Action Plan Development: August - September, 2023Once qualitative and quantitative data have been collected and analyzed, the project team will work to produce specific, actionable recommendations to be shared with municipal leadership and community-based stakeholders. These include policy recommendations, infrastructure investments, and other interventions.Documentation and Plan Communication: September - December, 2023Building on the digital equity action plan, MAPC&#39;s Digital Equity team will work to turn findings and recommendations into a comprehensive plan document, with a target publication date of early November, 2023. Following publication, the project team will share the findings with state and local elected leaders, municipal decision makers, community-based organizations, and the public in a series events and other outreach activities.To learn more or get involved in the planning process, please email Will Pfeffer (<a href="mailto:wpfeffer@mapc.org">wpfeffer@mapc.org</a>), the project manager for this planning process.

Digital Equity Plan

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0">Somerville is a dynamic, ever-evolving city. One constant, though, is how we unite as a community when challenges arise. Now, our resilience is being tested by climate change. &nbsp;</div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0">In the face of disruptions - whether economic, public health, or environmental - our shared values of creativity, innovation, and inclusivity help us persevere. Together we will transform Somerville into&nbsp;SustainaVille&nbsp;-- a city that works together to take bold steps to slow climate change while ensuring we are a diverse and vibrant community where all people thrive.  &nbsp;</div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0">The SustainaVille brand houses the programs and initiatives that reduce Somerville&rsquo;s contribution to and prepare us for the impacts of climate change. The Climate Forward plan is our roadmap for how we&rsquo;ll meet this urgency with Somerville-style grit and determination.&nbsp;</div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0"><a class="Hyperlink SCXW56901829 BCX0" href="https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/programs/somerville-climate-forward" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Climate Forward </a>was developed in 2018&nbsp;and established&nbsp;(13)&nbsp;priority strategies&nbsp;for a more sustainable and climate resilient community.&nbsp;It&#39;s&nbsp;now&nbsp;time to update the plan&nbsp;with community feedback and more recent&nbsp;climate data&nbsp;to&nbsp;reassess&nbsp;our priorities and identify strategies to accomplish our climate goals. &nbsp;</div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0">The Climate Forward Update is part of the City&rsquo;s&nbsp;evolving&nbsp;climate action plan and is designed to be updated every 5 years. From 2018 to 2023,&nbsp;the&nbsp;City&nbsp;has taken significant actions to reduce&nbsp;greenhouse&nbsp;gas emissions while enhancing equity-centered&nbsp;resiliency. This has&nbsp;included&nbsp;upgrades and extensions to public transportation, expansion&nbsp;of the urban tree canopy,&nbsp;developing&nbsp;the Citywide Drainage and Water Quality Plan, and&nbsp;more.&nbsp;The&nbsp;City&nbsp;has also reduced emissions resulting from powering municipal buildings, overhauled its zoning ordinance to include sustainability and resiliency standards,&nbsp;and maintained the <a href="https://cce.somervillema.gov/">community choice electricity program</a> for residents to access regionally produced, renewable energy.&nbsp;Read the Climate Forward annual progress reports for more information:&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW56901829 BCX0" href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/somerville-climate-forward-progress-report-2019.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">2019</a>,&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW56901829 BCX0" href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2020SomervilleClimateForwardProgressReportFINAL.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">2020</a>,&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW56901829 BCX0" href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/Somerville-Climate-Forward-Progress-Report-2021-Final-Full-Report.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">2021</a>,&nbsp;and 2022 (coming soon).&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW56901829 BCX0">We&rsquo;ve got momentum on our side. Now&rsquo;s the time to roll up our sleeves, put our creative energy to work, and use Climate Forward to drive&nbsp;continuous, informed&nbsp;climate action in Somerville.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

Somerville Climate Forward Update

5 Palmer Avenue was purchased by the City using Community Preservation Act funds in 2018 for the purpose of expanding the adjacent Glen Park Community Garden. A community meeting was held in September of 2022 and a final design agreed upon. The design consultant is finalizing construction documents and the project will go out to bid in Spring 2023. Construction is anticipated for summer/fall of 2023.

Glen Park Community Garden Expansion

Thanks for visiting the Somerville Armory project page! If you&#39;re new here, please take a look at this narrative and reference material - previous public meetings, Advisory Committee meetings, and background information are a good place to start.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-us-california/2c54d68420cfdda2f287778a517a665f5e8bb02b/original/1655826791/93739e6b002987c5082790945d1238fa_Armory_Base_Google_cropped.jpg?1655826791" style="width: 825px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Armory Master Plan Focus Group findingsOn May 1st, 2023, the Master Plan Advisory Committee reviewed the findings of four Focus Groups hosted by Somerville&#39;s master planning consultants in April. A summary of these findings has been prepared and is available in the &quot;Documents&quot; tab to the right side of this site.Project InformationSomerville recently acquired the Armory property for use as a public Community Arts Center. The city&#39;s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) and the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) have selected a consultant, Create Today, LLC, to compile an Armory Master Plan will guide how the property will serve as an arts center, including a business strategy outlining how the space will be used, managed and financially sustainable. Create Today will study best practices from other community arts facilities and coordinate with city staff on a community engagement process that will involve the City officials, our arts community, residents, and other interested stakeholders.Get Involved!The Somerville Armory Master Plan Advisory Committee (SAMPAC) started meeting on June 6th and convened again on September 12th of 2022. SAMPAC will continue to convene regularly in 2022 and early 2023 until the Master Plan is complete in early 2023. Follow this site for information about upcoming Committee meetings and other public meetings to review progress on development of the Master Plan, and to preview a draft of the plan before it is finalized.The next Advisory Committee meetings will be held virtually later in the summer! Stay tuned to this site for a recording of the proceedings and meeting material!Project SiteThe Somerville Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, a nearly 1-acre site between Davis Square and Somerville City Hall. Built in 1903 with three floors and a basement spanning 27,000 square feet, this building contains nearly 22,000 square feet of usable space. It currently features a two-story, 5,600 square foot performance hall with a mezzanine, a ground floor cafe, large work rooms and live/work apartments on the upper floors.The Armory first served as a National Guard facility until the 1970&#39;s and was then transferred to the Massachusetts State Police. Vacant since the mid-1980&#39;s, the site was purchased by a private owner in 2004 and renovated in 2009 as a private arts facility and performance space. The City acquired the property in 2020, and will use the forthcoming Master Plan as a roadmap to transition it into a modern public arts center. The City must follow state law in selecting future tenants through public request for proposal (RFP) procedures, and public relocation processes in helping current Armory tenants adjust to future use of the site.Project TimelineOSPCD&#39;S Economic Development division and the Arts Council are working closely with Create Today LLC to draft the Armory Master Plan. Preparatory work started in 2022, with the Advisory Committee starting to meet in June 2022. A draft Plan should be ready for review in mid-2023, and a final Armory Master Plan should be completed later in 2023. Once the Master Plan is finished, Economic Development will quickly pivot to implementation.

Armory Master Plan

<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-us-california/cb0fd3c56b3ce31b7b51fc4cd6b4b01295c9bf52/original/1645131685/3957297ca377994b3de97bb48aa39961_CPA_logo_title.jpg?1645131685" style="width: 213px;" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-fir">The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is a special City fund that is used for capital improvement projects related to open space/recreation, and historic preservation, and for projects that help to create or support affordable housing. The Community Preservation Committee oversees a grant program through which CPA funds are distributed to organizations and City departments for open space/recreation and historic preservation projects, while the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust distributes the funds set aside for affordable housing. Each year the Community Preservation Committee solicits public input to identify community needs and priorities for how the funds should be spent. Please share your ideas for ways to improve your neighborhood.

Community Preservation Act

Due to habitat loss and pesticide use, pollinator populations are declining in New England and worldwide. In response, Mayor Ballantyne&rsquo;s Office and the Division of Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) are developing a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) to identify spatial and behavioral interventions that create the best habitat for pollinators and wildlife in the city.The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan will:<ul class="rteindent1"><li style="margin-left: 60px;">Describe Somerville-specific and regional pollinator species.</li><li style="margin-left: 60px;">Explore pollinator habitat within the city&rsquo;s network of urban open spaces.</li><li style="margin-left: 60px;">Educate public servants and city residents on the interdependence of pollinators, habitat, and resilient urban life.</li><li style="margin-left: 60px;">Propose ways that public servants and residents can foster Somerville-appropriate pollinator habitat.</li></ul>The mayor has appointed a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Advisory Committee to lead this effort. The committee is comprised of youth, community members and advocates, inter-departmental City staff, and members of relevant Somerville non-profit groups. They will set out goals for the planning process, engage the public, and hire a consultant to write the Plan. Through harnessing the expertise and passion of our citizenry and a qualified consultant, we will produce a document to guide how we care for and foster pollinator habitat to support regional populations and our own urban lives.

Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

What's in your yard?