CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

The Central Massachusetts Region encompasses the southern two-thirds of Worcester County and is centered in the city of Worcester, the second largest city in New England. Located near the confluence of I-290/I-395 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Worcester and the 39 surrounding towns that constitute the regional community are nearly equidistant from Boston, Providence RI and Springfield MA.

The CMRPC membership encompasses the city of Worcester, second largest city in Massachusetts, and thirty nine surrounding towns. With excellent quality of life and competitive housing costs, the region is experiencing an increase in its population in excess of a half-million persons. The region combines small town character and big city conveniences, boasting major highway networks and rail crossroads, ten institutions of higher learning, innovative research and a business friendly atmosphere

The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), formed in 1963, is the designated regional planning entity for the Central Massachusetts region, which includes the City of Worcester and the surrounding 39 communities. This region encompasses the southern two-thirds of Worcester County. CMRPC provides municipal and regional planning for Land Use and Transportation, as well as a variety of Community Development services, Transit Planning for the region’s transit authority, Geographic Information Services (GIS), staffing for MORE (Municipalities Organized for Regional Effectiveness), and other programs. CMRPC collaborates with local, regional, state and federal officials, as well as with legislators, in order to bring a regional perspective and a coordinated approach to the planning and development that occurs in this region. The ultimate goal of this agency is to improve the quality of life for those who work and live in the Central Massachusetts region. Below is a map displaying the 40 Central Massachusetts communities grouped by subregion.