Planning for Section 3A Success: Leveraging the District Suitability Analysis Tool

MAPC has developed an interactive MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement (Section 3A) District Suitability Analysis Tool to help municipalities within the MAPC region identify locations for 3A zoning districts that also advance regional and local goals.
MAPC staff provided an overview of the tool’s use and showcased how it may be applied, in tandem with stakeholder-driven processes, to facilitate conversations around areas suitable for new housing production.
In 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature added a new section to the state’s Zoning Act (MGL Chapter 40A) - MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement - that requires each municipality in the MBTA district to zone for by-right multifamily housing near transit stations or smart growth locations.