Summary

Activity Centers are the locations that will accommodate the majority of the region’s future growth and play a central role in achieving the Region Forward Vision’s prosperity, sustainability, accessibility, and livability goals. They include existing urban centers, priority growth areas, traditional towns, and transit hubs.

The idea of concentrating growth in Activity Centers was considered a visionary goal when it was proposed in the Transportation Planning Board’s Vision in 1998. Today, after years of promotion and cooperation by area leaders, this idea is widely embraced throughout the region. COG's current Activity Centers Map, developed with local planning officials and the Region Forward Coalition and approved by the COG Board in 2013, represents a significant evolution from previous versions of the map. The current Activity Centers are smaller, more compact, and more walkable than their predecessors. They are also more aligned with the region’s transit network. The first version of the map was approved in 2002. For an interactive version, visit the maps page.