Melrose Forward: A Community Vision and Action Plan | 2015-2017

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Melrose Forward Booth at the Victorian Fair, September 2015

Melrose Forward: A Community Vision and Action Plan was developed as a guiding policy document for all future decisions on growth and preservation in the City of Melrose, Massachusetts for many years to come. I led this project in my role as a Senior Regional Planner at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The plan included findings and recommendations on housing, economic development, transportation, facilities and infrastructure, energy and sustainability, history, culture, open space, and land use.

The project kicked off publicly at the Melrose Victorian Fair in September 2015. At this event, MAPC and Master Plan Advisory Committee members captured responses from over 315 participants who shared what they love about Melrose, what the city’s most important community attributes are, and their ideas for the future. MAPC and the City of Melrose Office of Planning and Community Development provided information about the city’s demographic trends and accomplishments since its 2004 Master Plan. Following the Victorian Fair, social media profiles for this initiative were created including a Facebook page and Twitter profile. Following this public kickoff, the process included regular meetings with the Master Plan Advisory Committee, a repeat of the Victorian Fair activities at the city’s International Welcome Potluck, two additional public forums in February 2016 and March 2017, and two focus groups; one with seniors and one with the local real estate community.

Building on techniques used in Lynn and Boxborough, we used innovative engagement techniques and offered the final plan as a magazine-style summary as well as a longer document with additional details on our research and process.

News coverage about the planning process:

  • First steps taken to update city’s Master Plan, Melrose Free Press, February 18, 2016: coverage of the February 2016 public forum where I, along with the Master Plan Advisory Committee and her team from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, gathered input and guidance from Melrose residents about the community vision, plan topics, and local issues and opportunities. (Newspaper has a paywall)
  • Melrose draft master plan unveiled, comment period open, Melrose Free Press, April 4, 2017: coverage following the March 2017 public forum, where I presented an overview of the plan’s finding, highlighting local and regional demographic shifts and fluctuations in the housing market. (Newspaper has a paywall)
Picture of Manisha getting input on the Melrose Forward vision from a fairgoer.
Picture of Manisha getting input on the Melrose Forward vision from a fairgoer at the September 2015 Victorian Fair.
At both the Boxborough Fifer's Day Festival in June 2015 and the Melrose Victorian Fair in September 2015, MAPC captured information on community values with an activity that included 10 poker chips, 7 buckets, and a series of thermometers that were colored in throughout the day. Each participant received 10 poker chips to allocate as they wished among the 7 buckets and we recorded results throughout the day. In Boxborough, over 150 participated, and in Melrose we got responses from over 315!
At both the Boxborough Fifer’s Day Festival in June 2015 and the Melrose Victorian Fair in September 2015, MAPC captured information on community values with an activity that included 10 poker chips, 7 buckets, and a series of thermometers that were colored in throughout the day. Each participant received 10 poker chips to allocate as they wished among the 7 buckets and we recorded results throughout the day. In Boxborough, over 150 participated, and in Melrose we got responses from over 315!
At the Victorian Fair, we asked people to write down what they love about Melroe on chalkboards shaped like cartoon word bubbles. After the fair, we compiled the responses digitally in this word cloud and used these to help inform the community vision statement.
At the Victorian Fair, we asked people to write down what they love about Melroe on chalkboards shaped like cartoon word bubbles. After the fair, we compiled the responses digitally in this word cloud and used these to help inform the community vision statement.
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