Meet the Team
Impact 2050 is a partnership between the Master of Regional Planning (MRP) program at University of Massachusetts Amherst and the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG), in collaboration with the UMass Amherst Department of Civil Engineering program and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG).
Why University of Massachusetts Amherst?
The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) is at the forefront of climate action planning within the New Haven-Milford metro area, working alongside communities represented by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). Partnering with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Master of Regional Planning (MRP) program, SCRCOG has developed its Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and is advancing its Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). UMass Amherst, as the only Planning Accreditation Board-accredited regional planning program at a public university within 150 miles of SCRCOG, provides fresh and innovative perspectives to the climate planning process.
Building on the foundational work of last year’s studio, which successfully completed the PCAP, the 2024-2025 Regional Planning Studio is tasked with drafting the Authority to Implement (A2I) chapter of the CCAP—a critical requirement of the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG). In addition to the A2I chapter, this year’s studio is delivering two complementary tools to SCRCOG: the Municipal Emission Reduction Playbooks (MERPs) and a Future Engagement Strategy to enhance community involvement and implementation efforts.
This year’s cohort of master’s students in the MRP program is committed to driving impactful climate action by collaborating with stakeholders at the local, regional, and state levels. The team is also working closely with UMass Amherst’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department to integrate findings from their greenhouse gas inventory. By contributing actionable tools and strategies, the 2024-25 studio is helping to advance SCRCOG’s climate goals and set the stage for long-term regional resilience initiatives.
