MARPA: Background Information

Who We Are: The Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) is a statewide organization of the commonwealth’s 13 regional planning agencies (RPAs). Each RPA, in turn, comprises representatives of the member cities and towns constituting its geographic region. Although Massachusetts’ RPAs are public service agencies, they are not direct arms of the federal or state governments. Rather, they are consortia of local governments that have banded together under the provisions of state law to address problems and opportunities that are regional in scope. The regional planning areas delineated for each of Massachusetts’ 13 RPAs are designated by state enabling legislation as special state districts