Welcome!
The Town of Brookline is undertaking a comprehensive plan process to help shape the future of the town, including its neighborhoods, connections, and businesses. Running through 2025, the planning process will establish a community vision, goals, and recommendations for the future of Brookline.
The plan needs YOU! Check back often for news, announcements, events, and opportunities for participation.
What is a comprehensive plan?
Under Massachusetts General Laws, master planning is governed by Chapter 41, Section 81D. This section requires that the plan address nine elements, including a goals and policies statement and an implementation plan.
Within that framework is a great deal of latitude to craft a plan that fits the individual needs for the community.
Six Topics for Brookline’s Future
These topics work together to create a livable, diverse town! These themes reflect community input and Brookline’s key challenges and opportunities. Importantly, they are all connected and they work best together. The themes will help shape the strategies for Brookline’s Comprehensive Plan.
Expanded Housing Options
Increased and diversified housing options, with a focus on serving people across different income levels, life stages, and needs.
Thriving Commercial Areas
New and diverse commercial activity across Brookline, enhancing the unique identities of the town’s centers, providing equitable access to economic opportunities, and growing and diversifying the town’s commercial tax base.
Mobility & Accessibility
Ensure a well-maintained, connected network of streets, sidewalks, and bicycle infrastructure providing safe, accessible travel for all users and strengthening connectivity to green spaces, commercial centers, and civic and cultural destinations.
Climate Action & Resiliency
Advance decarbonization, clean energy adoption, and climate resilience efforts by prioritizing sustainability in land use and transport planning and promoting green and blue infrastructure for stormwater management.
Community Wellbeing
Continue to preserve important historical and cultural resources, and public services, while expanding and enhancing parks and open spaces, together contributing to the Town’s identity and social fabric.
Livable Neighborhoods
Promote well-connected and safe communities that support walkability and car-optional lifestyles and create a greener, healthier and more attractive town.
APA Sustaining Places Initiative
The American Planning Association developed the Sustaining Places Initiative to help communities integrate sustainability into comprehensive plans.
This process will use the 6 guiding principles from the APA’s Sustaining Places Initiative as an underlying framework. These principles are statements of intent that underly a plan’s overall strategy, including its goals, objective, policies, maps, and other content. The principles are:
Livable Built Environment
Harmony with Nature
Resilient Economy
Interwoven Equity
Healthy Community
Responsible Regionalism
At the intersections of these guiding principles and the MA Comp Plan topics, Brookliners’ values and vision will shape the plan topics and cross cutting themes.
Plan Impact
Policies
The plan provides direction for the Town and its cooperation with local non-profits and businesses.
Zoning
The plan will outline a framework a framework for future zoning changes aligned with the Town’s long-term vision.
Investment
The plan will guide how future investment is prioritized, like capital and operating funds, and staff and volunteer time.
Conversation
The plan will include many include ways to share your input, with a goal to continue transparency and engagement beyond the approval of the plan and its implementation.
