JM Goldson Services
Oak Bluffs, MA
Housing Production Plan
JM Goldson specializes in collaborative land use planning that will help your community understand and plan to address affordable, mixed-income, and market rate housing needs; public engagement with professional facilitation; as well as long-range and strategic planning.
Ways we can help your community:
Housing Planning & Implementation
Communities across New England are facing difficult housing questions. At JM Goldson, we help communities answer these questions through thoughtful planning, meaningful community engagement, and practical implementation strategies. Because we are both planners and facilitators, we bring together technical expertise and community dialogue. We help residents, boards, committees, and local leaders understand complex issues, explore tradeoffs, and participate meaningfully in decisions that will shape their community's future.
Community Engagement & Facilitation
Community engagement is risk management. A plan's success rarely rests on technical expertise alone. Projects move forward when people understand them, trust the process behind them, and believe their input matters. JM Goldson designs and leads the engagement that makes that happen, and facilitates the conversations at its heart.
We partner with municipalities and consulting teams to build trust, reach the voices too often left out, and guide productive, welcoming discussions that turn what we hear into clear, actionable insight. You own the technical work. We help communities engage with it.
Community Preservation & Investment
Communities make important choices about what to preserve, improve, and invest in. JM Goldson helps communities and institutions identify priorities, engage the right voices, and develop practical strategies for investing in historic resources, open space, recreation, housing, public art, and civic amenities. Our work brings together analysis, engagement, and implementation planning so investment decisions are thoughtful, transparent, and grounded in community benefit.
Planning your next project, grant application, or procurement?
We've made it easier.
For each of our core services, we offer a standard scope: a clear, transparent description of what the work includes, phase by phase. These scopes are designed to support municipalities through grant submissions and the RFQ, RFP, and procurement process, giving you reliable language and structure to build on. Every standard scope is also a starting point. We're happy to customize any of them to fit your community's goals, timeline, and budget.
If you'd like to talk through which scope fits your project, or shape a custom one, book a meeting with a member of our team.
Project Scopes
Meet the
JM Goldson Team
Founded by certified community planner Jenn Goldson in 2006, JMG has provided community planning services to countless municipalities, private consulting partners, and mission-driven housing developers in the Northeast U.S. and beyond. Our holistic approach combines deep community engagement, data-driven technical expertise, and a strong knowledge of possibilities for progressive public policies.
We’d love the opportunity to talk with you about your project!
What clients are saying…
-
![A red brick building with pointed towers surrounded by green shrubs and a tree with pink blossoms in the foreground under a partly cloudy blue sky.]()
"Professional, responsive, and genuinely committed to our project’s success."
Every member of the JM Goldson team working with Stow on our Comprehensive Plan update has been impressive- professional, responsive, and genuinely committed to our project’s success. They provide true leadership, allowing staff to comfortably take a step back so that our department may continue to balance additional priority initiatives. Their ability to keep the project organized and on time is greatly appreciated. I couldn’t be more pleased with this project and look forward to working with JM Goldson on future planning efforts.
— Planning Director, Town of Stow, MA
Photo credit: Kathy Sferra
-
![Map of Brewster, highlighting historic districts, archaeological areas, water bodies, rail trails, and open spaces, with an inset showing detailed map of Brewster Old King's Highway.]()
"Encouraged and fostered communication with key stakeholders."
In my opinion, the CPA plan has helped the committee become more forward looking, and has encouraged and fostered communication with key stakeholders. I think our efforts and outreach to finally get the TAP passed at Town Meeting had the beneficial effect of allowing more voters to understand how CPA finances work, what the committee does, and what projects were eligible for CPA funds.
— Brewster HPP Committee Member
-
![A red historic barn with stone foundation, white trim, and a decorative red ribbon, surrounded by bare trees, next to a white house with a porch, and a driveway with parked cars, on an overcast day.]()
“Impressed us all.”
Thanks to Jenn’s professionalism, expert advice and creative problem-solving abilities, the APA-MA chapter has a new website which has received tremendous praise. Jenn led the complicated effort, with technical and strategic assistance from Chris Ryan, and impressed us all. Her service to the chapter was organized, smart, and on budget. She is a multi-faceted planning professional that I would continue to recommend to anyone seeking consulting services.
— Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association, Vice President of Chapter Affairs
-
![]()
“Exceptional with unsurpassable knowledge.”
Jenn’s professionalism, energy, knowledge, and consistently pleasant presence makes working with her a great pleasure. Her knowledge of the Community Preservation Act, relationships with various state players and stake holders, professional demeanor . . . is unsurpassable . . . She is an exceptional writer and researcher; her responses are prompt and thorough; she is consistent with follow-up and incredibly detailed oriented. It is sad to remember where we were before engaging her and impossible to imagine how we could continue to prosper without her.
— Community Preservation Committee Chair, Town of Bridgewater
Development concept drawing by Brian Goldson
-
![Group of people sitting around tables with papers and water bottles, participating in a meeting or conference in a large room with artwork on the walls.]()
“Jenn has an excellent ability to get groups to work toward consensus in a positive and productive manner.”
Jenn and her team were well prepared for meetings and events, completed work on time and within budget, and had good communication about potential issues . . . Jenn has an excellent ability to get groups to work toward consensus in a positive and productive manner.
— Respondent to JM Goldson’s 2020 Client Evaluation Survey
-
![Yellow two-story house with black shutters and white trim, surrounded by green grass and trees.]()
“Jenn had attention to detail . . . and willingness to listen and respond.”
Jenn had attention to detail, a pleasant personality, knowledge of the subject area, and willingness to listen and respond.
— Respondent to JM Goldson’s 2020 Client Evaluation Survey
-
![Group of people gathered around a large map on a table, discussing and pointing to different areas.]()
“We would choose her again 10 times out of 10.”
We chose Jenn to complete our Housing Needs Assessment based initially upon her well-deserved reputation. Being thoroughly satisfied with that report, we engaged JM Goldson again to complete our Housing Production Plan and we haven’t been disappointed. She and her team have done an exceptional job communicating with town officials and town residents during multiple public workshops, synthesizing the public input and demographic data, and producing comprehensive, pragmatic, and well-reasoned reports. We would choose her again 10 times out of 10.
— Director of Planning and Community Development, Town of Agawam
