What is Vision 2020?

The Southeastern Mass: Vision 2020 Project is a regional growth management project being undertaken by three regional planning agencies: Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) in Taunton; Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) in Brockton; and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston.

For this effort, southeastern Massachusetts is defined as fifty-two cities and towns from Bristol, Plymouth and Norfolk Counties. The region is geographically defined by Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, The Taunton River watershed, and its location relative to Boston, Rhode Island and Cape Cod. This area has been called the new growth frontier in Massachusetts.

Southeastern Massachusetts is home to approximately one million people residing in over 1,300 square miles. We have been adding 10,000 new residents and consuming 4.7 square miles of undeveloped land each year for the past thirty years, and new transportation improvements (commuter rail, Route 44 and Route 3 & 24 improvements) continue to attract more growth. Southeastern Massachusetts is comprised of several clearly defined sub-regions, including the South Shore, the South Coast and the Tri-City area around Brockton, Attleboro and Taunton. Despite the diversity within the region, the fifty-two cities and towns all have common concerns and opportunities.

The Task Force on Growth and Change in Southeastern Massachusetts has overseen the process. In 2002, the Task Force was replaced by a Board of Directors. The Board is representative of regional civic interests and is charged with preparing an overall growth and development vision and strategy for southeastern Massachusetts. The Vision 2020 initiative has been supported in part with funding from the legislature and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.