Utile, Inc. collaborated with Peter Wiederspahn on a planning study for Maxpak, a five acre post-industrial site along a rail corridor in Somerville, Massachusetts. The study was commissioned by the City of Somerville. The goal of the study was to develop community consensus around a density of development in advance of proposals solicited by real estate developers. It was a specific interest of the City to find a balance between the desire for transit-oriented development and the nimby-ism provoked by development in well-established neighborhoods.

Several approaches to zoning overlays were explored in an effort to seek a balance between the concerns of abutting property owners and the desire to attract development. The physical planning was supported by an economic analysis by GLC, a real estate development consulting firm. As a result, the design recommendations for the site were realistic in terms of the construction costs and real estate market. The effort was also supported by Jay Wickersham, a regulatory lawyer, of Noble & Wickersham.