The Cities of Malden, Melrose, and Medford are working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to develop building design guidelines for residential and mixed-use rehabilitation and new construction to advance the stock of energy-efficient, affordable, and resilient living spaces. The project is funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
These guidelines are being developed with input from community members through a series of interviews, focus groups, and workshops. The final document will provide guidance to property owners and developers on how to measure a property’s vulnerability to climate change and give details of building components that can address those vulnerabilities, including the building envelope, HVAC systems, energy consumption and sources, green roofs, permeable paving, and sustainable landscaping. Finally, the guidelines will outline various resources that developers and property owners can utilize to make these resiliency investments.