The MAPC is comprised of representatives from the cities and towns encompassed within it as well as by gubernatorial appointees. Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone is one of these representatives. "Mayor Curtatone is an active in MAPC activities and frequent participant in the Metro Mayor's Coalition, which is staffed by MAPC and has been actively engaged in each phase of MetroFuture. The Mayor has invited MAPC to take part in several complementary planning initiatives in Somerville, including the current Mystic River Corridor Strategy Project," said Amy Cotter, MAPC Director of Regional Plan Implementation.

Somerville falls under the Inner Core Communities category within the MetroFuture area. These communities are cities within the heart of the Boston Metropolitan area that have a mix of residential and commercial inhabitants. These cities have the largest populations and provide the most job opportunities. Under the goals that have been specified for the Inner Core Communities under the MetroFuture plan population, job and housing growth would increase significantly over current projections without the plan.

MetroFuture will aim to expand upon the characteristics that already make Somerville a desirable place to live, such as affordable housing, cultural diversity and close proximity to social and business opportunities.

Another main goal of MetroFuture is to increase efficiency and reduce impact on the environment. 100% of newly developed jobs and housing in the Inner Core will be located in close proximity to existing public transit stops. This would increase the number of people using public transportation which would like to an increased return on investment for the transit systems and would reduce traffic, emissions and parking problems from commuters. Under the Massachusetts Brownfields Act funds and assistance are provided to clean and redevelop polluted sites. Most of the sites were formerly used for commercial purposes and are found in urban areas. Somerville has dozens of potential sites that could fall under this category, although only a few such sites state wide will receive actual funding. Also, any newly designed structures will be required to meet the US EPA Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. These standards ensure that eco-friendly and sustainable structures are developed.

The program, which has been a work in progress since 2003 is set to begin ramping up this month. MetroFuture was unveiled to the public at an open to all reception on June 9 at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston. More information is available at http://metrofuture.org/.