Harvard Square in Cambridge is facing another round of developments, and residents are worries the changes could come at the expense of the character of the famous location.
"The endless skirmish over the soul of Harvard Square is heating up again," according to an article by Tim Logan.
A plan to redevelop three properties on the block where Brattle Street meets John F. Kennedy Street — including the Abbot Building, the flatiron-shaped home to The World’s Only Curious George Store — is roiling locals who worry the once-bohemian business district is marching ever closer to sterility.
New York-based investment firm Equity One is proposing the project, which would add a "glitzy indoor mall" to this famous corner of Cambridge.
Logan details the recent history of development controversies in Harvard Square, as Boston's economic recovery and soaring real estate prices have added extra incentives for developers to risk controversial proposals. Examples from real estate cycles in the 1990s are also recalled, in an article that surveys local business and property owners for their opinions abiut how Harvard Square has changed in the past, and how it should change in the future.
Read the full story: A mall in Harvard Square? Not if some neighbors get their way
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority