Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Since 1962, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission has been the designated regional planning body for the Pioneer Valley region, which encompasses 43 cities and towns in the Hampden and Hampshire county areas. PVPC is the primary agency responsible for increasing communication, cooperation, and coordination among all levels of government as well as the private business and civic sectors in order to benefit the Pioneer Valley region and to improve its residents' quality of life.

Although PVPC is a public sector agency, it is not a direct arm of the federal or state governments. Rather, it is a consortium of local governments that have banded together under the provisions of state law to address problems and opportunities that are regional in scope. As a result, PVPC's planning area is designated as a special district under the provisions of state enabling legislation.

PVPC is funded through modest annual assessments from its member communities, state and federal grant programs, fees for administering community development block grants, and matching funds.

Vision and Mission

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is the legally designated regional planning agency for the Pioneer Valley region in Western Massachusetts. PVPC was organized in 1962 under Massachusetts enabling legislation to serve a planning district comprising 43 member cities and towns and more than 600,000 residents.

Our Mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life for its individual member communities and for the region as a whole by:

- Working to develop policies, programs, and projects that support public and private efforts throughout the region to resolve issues, solve problems, meet needs, and exploit opportunities whenever and wherever such efforts can benefit from sound regional planning.

- Serving as an advocate for the regional community as needs and circumstances dictate.

- Engaging an open and broadly participatory planning process solidly grounded in ethical principles and a commitment to dedicated, high-quality public service.

In support of this mission, PVPC's principal responsibilites include:

- Bringing a regional and inter-regional perspective to the region’s transportation, housing, economic development, historic preservation, pollution control, and resource management and protection planning.

- Promoting the region’s interests at the state and federal levels.

- Assisting municipalities with technical aid, grant writing assistance, and grant administration.

- Fostering cooperative efforts among municipalities to achieve better land development, public service, and financial efficiency.

- Enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors in the Pioneer Valley region.

- Gathering, maintaining, and making available planning-related data.