Medford Selects Consultant To Lead Master Planning Process

MEDFORD, MA — The city has selected a consultant to begin its Master Planning process, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and the office of Community Development, Energy & Environment announced Tuesday.

The plan will be led by Agency Landscape + Planning, in collaboration with Innes Associates, Karp Strategies, Arup, and LANDAU Design+Technology. This team has worked for several communities in Massachusetts and across the country, focusing on community engagement at the heart of the process.

In its Request for Proposals, Medford specified a desire for a consultant that would place a large emphasis on public participation and one with a demonstrated history of techniques designed to engage with a diverse community.

"Working with the community to create a Comprehensive Master Plan for Medford is a key step in understanding the vision and goals for the City," Alicia Hunt, director of Community Development, Energy & Environment, said. "I'm particularly excited to be integrating sustainability through all aspects of this plan that will guide our work for the next ten years. Moving forward, it will be critical to our work to identify and select diverse representatives for the Steering Committee, and I encourage people to consider volunteering for the steering committee and to be Plan Guides. Plan Guides will be particularly important to help us reach our entire community and ensure that we leave no stone unturned when it comes to communication."

The city's Comprehensive Master Planning process will emphasize public participation. Agency Landscape + Planning has a history of engaging with the public and community, using techniques designed to engage with a diverse population that is representative of the city of Medford.

“Medford is already a remarkable place and this plan is a chance to build on, amplify, and sustain that," said Brie Hensold, Principal and Urban Planner, Agency Landscape + Planning.
"Our whole team is looking forward to working closely with the community to channel their aspirations for the future. Together we'll integrate recommendations for transportation, economic development, housing, history and culture, open space, and public services – all through the lenses of equity, resilience and other community values that we learn."

Opportunities to Be Involved

• Steering Committee: In the next few weeks, the City will be putting together a Steering Committee of approximately 20 City staff, representatives of Medford businesses and organizations, and individual community members. The Steering Committee will meet roughly 6 times over the course of the 18-month planning process and will review drafts, provide input, and serve as a liaison between community groups and the Comprehensive Plan development team. To ensure diverse representation on the Committee, the City will conduct outreach to certain residents, communities, and organizations, and will also look for community volunteers. If you are interested in being a member of the Steering Committee, please send an email to boardsandcommissions@medford-ma.gov with a short description of your interest in the Committee and any relevant info on your background/experience. Letters of interest are due by Friday, April 9th.

• Plan Guides: The City is also looking for volunteers to be Plan Guides through this process. Plan Guides will help to raise awareness about the planning process and engagement opportunities. As a Plan Guide you would attend an orientation workshop and receive a toolkit and your role would be to help us spread the word in your community and facilitate input to the plan! To volunteer or nominate someone you know for a Plan Guide position, please send us an email at ocd@medford-ma.gov.

• Public engagement: There will be many opportunities for public engagement throughout the 18-month planning process, including community meetings, online engagement, focus groups, engagement toolkits, and online surveys. Make sure to sign up for our email list (by emailing “subscribe” to ocd@medford-ma.gov) and follow us on social media (fb.com/GoGreenMedford, or fb.com/MedfordMAofficial) to stay up to date on the planning process and engagement opportunities! You can also visit our website at medfordma.org/masterplan to see the latest updates.