Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)
  • Municipal Jobs
  • Data Hub
  • Municipal Marketplace
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter Sign up
Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)
  • Members
    • Who is a member?

      Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.

      Learn more

      Member Communities

      351 municipalities in Massachusetts are currently members of the MMA.

      Learn more

      Member
      Groups

      Mayors
      Managers
      Select Boards
      Councillors
      Finance committees
      Human Resources
      Other Affiliated Groups
      Municipal Communicators
      WEMO
      Mass Highway
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy by Type

      • Testimony
      • Executive Director's Reports
      • Policy Committees
      • Legislative Package
      • MMA Resolutions
      • MMA Policies

      Advocacy by Category

      • Energy and the Environment
      • Fiscal Affairs
      • Municipal and Regional Administration
      • Personnel and Labor Relations
      • Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities
      Learn about our advocacy work
  • News
    • See all news

    • By Category
    • Economic and Community Development
    • Labor and Personnel
    • Local Aid and Finance
    • Municipal Government
    • Municipal Services
    • Public Works, Energy and Utilities
  • Resources
    • Featured Resources

      • Webinars
      • The Beacon
      • Select Board Handbook
      • Finance Committee Handbook
      • Municipal Career Opportunities
      • Weekly Review Newsletter
      • Federal Funds

      Resources by Category

      • Economic and Community Development
      • Labor and Personnel
      • Local Aid and Finance
      • Municipal Government
      • Municipal Services
      • Public Works, Energy and Utilities
      See full resource library
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Connect 351
  • About MMA
    • History and Mission
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Careers
    • Our Partners
    • Publications
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Job Ads
  • Marketplace
  • Data Hub
  • Newsletter
Economic and Community Development

Home → Resources

  • Search

  • Economic and Community Development
  • See all
    • Community Health and Wellness
    • Economic Development
    • Housing, Zoning, Land Use
    Labor and Personnel
  • See all
    • Collective Bargaining Agreements
    • Employment Laws
    • Health Insurance
    • Job Descriptions
    • Pensions and Other Post-Employment Benefits
    • Personnel Management
    • Professional Development
    • Recruiting and Hiring
    • Workplace Safety
    Local Aid and Finance
  • See all
    • Capital Planning
    • Municipal Budgeting
    • Municipal Finance Rules and Guidelines
    • Revenue Sharing and Municipal Fiscal Health
    • The Property Tax
    Municipal Government
  • See all
    • Community Engagement
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Marijuana and Alcohol
    • Municipal Governance
    • Municipal Operations
    • Municipal Policies and Procedures
    • Open Meeting, Public Records, Ethics Laws
    • Regionalism and Collaboration
    Municipal Services
  • See all
    • Health and Human Services
    • Public Safety and Emergency Response
    • Public Schools and Libraries
    Public Works, Energy and Utilities
  • See all
    • Climate Change
    • Construction and Bidding
    • Energy
    • Solid Waste and Recycling
    • Transportation
    • Water, Wastewater and Stormwater
Planning and Partnering for Impact: Best Practices for Municipal Opioid Settlement Funds

Planning and Partnering for Impact: Best Practices for Municipal Opioid Settlement Funds

This webinar reviews best practices for municipalities getting started with their opioid settlement funds, including an example of working regionally from the Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative.
Community Health and WellnessWebinarfreePublication Date: Nov 19, 2025
Municipal Legal Updates: Summer 2025

Municipal Legal Updates: Summer 2025

This webinar features a panel of attorneys with the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association addressing current issues. Topics include cannabis law and policy, tax title takings, recent accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw decisions, and policies related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities. Recommended audience: chief municipal officials, all members
Employment LawsWebinarfreePublication Date: Aug 06, 2025
Adapting Public Buildings for Creative Uses

Adapting Public Buildings for Creative Uses

This webinar with the Mass Cultural Council provides an overview of how abandoned municipal buildings have been adapted into artist and creative spaces, featuring projects in Harwich, Easthampton and Dedham. Recommended audience: Planners, all members
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Jun 11, 2025
Leveraging Arts and Culture for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

Leveraging Arts and Culture for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

This webinar discusses how communities can use opioid settlement funds for prevention and recovery services that involve arts and culture. Recommended audience: Chief municipal officials
Community Health and WellnessWebinarfreePublication Date: May 12, 2025
A Green and Inclusive Post-Pandemic Recovery of the Blue Economy and Coastal Communities

A Green and Inclusive Post-Pandemic Recovery of the Blue Economy and Coastal Communities

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Glasgow, the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (in Bonn, Germany) and the University of Costa Rica has been developing a trans-national comparative study across coastal areas in Costa Rica, Northern Germany, Scotland (UK), and Massachusetts (USA) to…
Economic DevelopmentReportpdf - 43 MBPublication Date: Mar 31, 2025
Rural Municipalities Toolkit

Rural Municipalities Toolkit

Developed by Mass Cultural Council with support from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development – Rural Affairs. Rural Municipalities Toolkit
Economic DevelopmentWebsitePublication Date: Dec 01, 2024
Advancing Community Arts, Culture, and Economic Development: Best Practices for Select Boards

Advancing Community Arts, Culture, and Economic Development: Best Practices for Select Boards

Representatives from the Mass Cultural Council discuss how select boards can support arts and culture initiatives and advance economic development in their communities, while local officials from Orleans and Carlisle present local case studies. Recommended audience: select board members
Economic DevelopmentWebinarPublication Date: Dec 11, 2024
Building Vibrant and Creative Communities

Building Vibrant and Creative Communities

This webinar discusses how to build public support for culture, celebrate different traditions and talents, and promote economic opportunity within cities and towns. Recommended audience: Planners, all members
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Jun 18, 2024
Mastering Municipal Branding: Best Practices and Benefits

Mastering Municipal Branding: Best Practices and Benefits

This webinar offers insights and discusses challenges related to developing and using a new municipal brand, and how it can positively impact economic development. Recommended audience: Communications officials, chief municipal officials
Community EngagementWebinarfreePublication Date: Jun 12, 2024
The Power of Culture in the Commonwealth

The Power of Culture in the Commonwealth

This webinar discusses programs available via the Mass Cultural Council and how municipalities can support and promote the arts through community initiatives. Recommended audience: Chief municipal officials, all members
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: May 28, 2024
Broadband and Digital Equity Planning

Broadband and Digital Equity Planning

This webinar with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute discusses the Challenge Process and other timely programming to help bridge the digital divide. Recommended audience: Chief municipal officials, select board members
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Apr 22, 2024
MBTA Communities: Takeaways From Reviews To Date

MBTA Communities: Takeaways From Reviews To Date

Presentation by Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Attorney General’s Municipal Law Unit during an MMA webinar held on March 13, 2024
Housing, Zoning, Land UsePresentationpdf - 2 MBPublication Date: Mar 13, 2024
Best Practices for MBTA Zoning Proposals

Best Practices for MBTA Zoning Proposals

This webinar discusses what the EOHLC and AGO have learned from their preliminary review of proposed local zoning amendments, and how what they’ve learned may be helpful to communities in their compliance efforts. Recommended audience: Chief municipal officials, select board members, councillors, all members
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarfreePublication Date: Mar 13, 2024
Property Tax Programs for Low-Income Homeowners and Renters

Property Tax Programs for Low-Income Homeowners and Renters

This webinar by the Massachusetts Select Board Association explores recent developments in several property tax programs for low-income homeowners and renters. Recommended audience: Select board members, chief municipal officials, assessors, finance directors
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarfreePublication Date: Mar 08, 2024
MBTA Communities: Municipalities and Compliance

MBTA Communities: Municipalities and Compliance

This webinar discusses key points of the MBTA Communities law related to compliance and enforcement, as well as the distinction between the MBTA Communities law, Chapter 40B, and Chapter 40R. Recommended audience: Chief municipal officials, select board members, councillors, all members
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarfreePublication Date: Feb 26, 2024
Cannabis Compliance: Reviewing the New Regulatory Requirements for Host Communities

Cannabis Compliance: Reviewing the New Regulatory Requirements for Host Communities

This webinar reviews the Cannabis Control Commission’s newly promulgated regulations and their impact on host communities.
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Dec 11, 2023
Cannabis Compliance: Draft Regulations on Host Community Agreements

Cannabis Compliance: Draft Regulations on Host Community Agreements

This webinar discusses the implications of the Cannabis Control Commission’s draft regulations on host community agreements and social equity.
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Aug 07, 2023
A Practical Guide to Affordable Housing: Separating Fact From Fiction

A Practical Guide to Affordable Housing: Separating Fact From Fiction

This webinar discusses the “why” behind affordable housing and the importance of building complete neighborhoods, while offering tools for responding to common questions and concerns raised about community developments.
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarfreePublication Date: May 23, 2023
Compliance Guidelines for Multi-Family Zoning Districts Under Section 3A of the Zoning Act

Compliance Guidelines for Multi-Family Zoning Districts Under Section 3A of the Zoning Act

Issued by the Mass. Dept. of Housing and Community Development in Oct. 2022
Housing, Zoning, Land UseGuidancepdf - 421 KBPublication Date: Oct 21, 2022
Seven Strategies to Minimize Negative Impacts of Outdoor Light at Night

Seven Strategies to Minimize Negative Impacts of Outdoor Light at Night

Published by DesignLights Consortium Learn more https://www.designlights.org/our-work/luna/responsible-light-at-night-local-governments/
Community Health and WellnessGuidancepdf - 775 KBPublication Date: Dec 07, 2022
Best Practices for Affordable Housing Trusts

Best Practices for Affordable Housing Trusts

Presented by The Massachusetts Select Board Association
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarPublication Date: Mar 17, 2023
Funding Sources For Affordable Housing Initiatives

Funding Sources For Affordable Housing Initiatives

A Massachusetts Select Board Association webinar covered affordable housing and resources available to municipalities for developing new housing.
Housing, Zoning, Land UseWebinarPublication Date: Nov 16, 2022
Broadband and Digital Equity Investments

Broadband and Digital Equity Investments

This webinar provides an overview of the federal broadband funding landscape and the steps municipalities can take to close the digital divide and expand broadband access.
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Nov 15, 2022
Host Community Agreements and Municipalities: Cannabis Law Update

Host Community Agreements and Municipalities: Cannabis Law Update

This webinar covers how a wide-ranging cannabis law enacted in 2022 is likely to affect host community agreements and community impact fees, as well as how municipalities can best position themselves in the changing environment.
Economic DevelopmentWebinarfreePublication Date: Nov 09, 2022
Community Grant Finder

Community Grant Finder

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognizes that municipalities need a streamlined, easy-to-use way to interface with state government when seeking opportunities for state resources to support local services. The Community Grant Finder provides a central location to learn about state grant opportunities for cities and towns, regardless of which state agency manages a grant program. https://www.mass.gov/lists/community-grant-finder
Economic DevelopmentListing
Community One Stop: One Year Later

Community One Stop: One Year Later

Presented by the Massachusetts Select Board Association
Economic DevelopmentWebinarPublication Date: Mar 04, 2022
Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19

Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19

Presented by MMA Human Services Council
Community Health and WellnessWebinarPublication Date: Apr 28, 2022
Creative Placemaking in Your Community

Creative Placemaking in Your Community

2022 MMA Annual Meeting and Trade Show webinar: Attendees learned how the city of Brockton and others have embraced placemaking, and discovered some funding sources and tools that can help engage with citizens on this important topic.
Economic and Community DevelopmentWebinarPublication Date: Feb 03, 2022
Overview of Draft Zoning Rules for MBTA Communities

Overview of Draft Zoning Rules for MBTA Communities

2022 MMA Annual Meeting and Trade Show webinar: Attendees learned about draft guidance related to new requirements in Section 3A of Chapter 40A for “MBTA Communities” from the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Economic and Community DevelopmentWebinarPublication Date: Feb 02, 2022
New Multifamily Zoning Requirements for MBTA Communities

New Multifamily Zoning Requirements for MBTA Communities

Presentation from Department of Housing and Community Development webinar on Jan. 12, 2022.
Housing, Zoning, Land UsePresentationpdf - 2 MBPublication Date: Jan 12, 2022
Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)
  • 3 Center Plaza, Suite 610,
    Boston, Massachusetts 02108
  • 617-426-7272
  • Email Us
  • Members
  • Advocacy
  • News
  • Resources
  • Events
  • About MMA
  • Municipal Jobs
  • Municipal Marketplace
  • Contact Us
© 2025, MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION. Terms of Use
 Viv Web Solutions Design and development by Viv Web Solutions