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The private sector will be ultimately responsible for much of the development that occurs in Metro Boston over the coming decades.  Individuals and corporations can contribute to a more sustainable future through their decisions about where and how to build, and they need information and education that will support regionally-minded decisions.  MAPC, other public agencies, and advocacy organizations can foster private sector demand for sustainable development by providing more information about the benefits of smart growth locations.  Networking, corporate recognition, and social marketing campaigns would also help to increase familiarity with MetroFuture and its relevance to the broader rubric of sustainability. 

24)    Disseminate information regarding the economic and environmental costs of development alternatives
The private sector needs more useful and accessible information on the benefits and costs of different locations and types of development.  This is a particular need for the residents and small business owners who do not otherwise have access to such data.  People and businesses periodically decide to relocate for a variety of reasons and with a variety of needs in mind.  The search for a new location requires weighing different options in the absence of good, let alone complete, information.  Factors that might lead to selection of a location and building type advocated by MetroFuture, such as commute time and cost, building energy costs, and nearby amenities such as grocery stores and nature trails, are often important but secondary considerations.  They can fall by the wayside as energy and focus are consumed by factors such as building cost and school quality, that are both more prominent and better addressed by more readily available indicators (such as asking price and MCAS scores).

An easy to use and readily accessed way to obtain clear and comparable information on such factors would help location decision makers, whether a prospective homeowner, renter, or business owner, to choose among locations that may otherwise appear equivalent.  This should lead more people to choose the kinds of locations and building types advocated by MetroFuture more often, since they are more likely to rise to the top when evaluated by these key secondary metrics.

24.a    MAPC and allied organizations should develop a model that quantifies the “jobshed” for housing locations

24.b    MAPC and allied organizations should develop a model that quantifies the “employeeshed” for economic development locations

24.c    MAPC and allied organizations organizations should create a walkability score for different locations and types of development

24.d    MAPC and MassGIS should develop a model to estimate transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions of alternative locations

25)    Foster corporate engagement through sustainability-oriented networking and recognition programs
Many developers are already champions of smart growth, building innovative projects and fueling a trend in which “smart growth” is becoming a marketing label (that is sometimes misapplied).  Their interests could naturally align with MetroFuture’s goals, creating the opportunity for mutual-beneficial education, network building, and advocacy.

A recognition and investor relations program based on voluntary corporate reporting of smart growth / regional indicators could also help to increase business decision making that is consistent with MetroFuture.  The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has shown that corporations will respond to investor and customer demand for sustainable practices via a voluntary reporting mechanism.  Improvements in practices result, as investors compare the performance of different options and top performers receive recognition.  MAPC should work with appropriate partners, such as GRI and/or locally-based affiliates, to develop and/or use existing GRI indicators in a reporting and recognition program focused on encouraging and measuring performance related to MetroFuture’s goals.

25.a    MAPC and the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance should develop a MetroFuture reporting and recognition program

26)    Pursue education and marketing to promote “regional-mindedness”
Beyond information and incentives intended for the “rational actor” making location decisions, programs are also needed to address negative perceptions and myths about MetroFuture-consistent locations and increase their attractiveness
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Ongoing dialogue among people, organizations, and businesses from different parts of the region and different backgrounds, was used to demonstrable effect through the development of MetroFuture.  As with those events, implementation-oriented regional dialogue would recruit and intentionally mix a cross-section of people in discussion that fosters a greater understanding of each other, unexpected commonalities, and shared challenges and opportunities.  Doing so while focusing on questions and needs related to MetroFuture implementation would provide a meaningful reason to participate while advancing MetroFuture’s goals and objectives.

Conceptualized by Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman in the 1970s, social marketing differs from other areas of marketing only with respect to the objectives of the marketer and his or her organization. Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors not to benefit the marketer, but to benefit the target audience and the general society.  A social marketing campaign would build a sense that smart growth and sustainability are “hip,” and that a MetroFuture-consistent location is “the place to be.”

26.a    MAPC should develop a program of implementation-oriented regional dialogue

26.b    MAPC and allied organizations should create a social marketing campaign to promote MetroFuture-consistent decisions by individuals

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