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Harvard Square Design Project
What's Happening Now
Construction is expected to be completed on the Harvard Square Improvement Project by mid-October 2008; currently, the final piece of sidewalk work is being done in the Super-Crosswalk on the Out-of-Town News side.
For more current information please go to DPW's construction updates page
Go to an April 7, 2006 Update
from the City Manager's Office
Go to List
of New Colored Plans of High Priority Improvements
Go to Map
of High Priority Improvements
Go
to Presentation of High Priority Improvements (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Project Goals
The Harvard Square Design Project is making transportation, landscaping, and lighting improvements throughout the Square. The improvements were developed in a participatory process with the Harvard Square Design Committee.
The last extensive infrastructure project completed in Harvard Square was the extension of the MBTA Red Line subway through Harvard Square to Alewife in 1978-1985. Extensive roadway, sidewalk and urban design improvements were constructed in conjunction with the MBTA work. The roadway reconfigurations and sidewalk changes resulted in extensive improvements for pedestrians using the square.
The City is using this opportunity to address safety concerns and pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic patterns in the square. The goal is to design and construct appropriate infrastructure improvements that will benefit the users and improve safety.
Project Plan
These files are in PDF format and require use of the free Adobe Acrobat viewer.
- June 2005 Colored Plans of High Priority Improvements (PLEASE NOTE that due to the very large size of these files - 3 to 10 megabytes - they may take considerable time to download. )
- Cambridge Arts Council's Harvard Square public art page
- March 2005 Project Update
- May 2004 Project Update (137 KB)
- May 2004 Project Map (360 KB)
- December 2003 Project Update
Public Process
The Harvard Square Design Committee was appointed by the City Manager and began meeting in April 2002. The committee includes residents, business owners, institutional representatives and a Harvard student. In addition to the committee process, several community meetings have been held to discuss the project with the public at large.
Committee Members
|
|
Committee and Community Meeting Notes
These files are in PDF format and require use of the free Adobe Acrobat viewer.
| April, 2002 (134 KB) | January, 2003 | September, 2003 (253 KB) |
| June, 2002 (130 KB) | February, 2003 | November, 2003 (191 KB) |
| September, 2002* | March, 2003 | December, 2003 (184 KB) |
| October, 2002* | May 1, 2003 | January, 2004 (163 KB) |
| November, 2002* (204 KB) | May 15, 2003* (109 KB) | February, 2004 (152 KB) |
| December, 2002 | June, 2003* |
* Related presentation linked below.
Committee and Public Presentations
These files are in PDF format and require use of the free Adobe Acrobat viewer.
- September 19, 2002 (2.3 MB)
- October 17, 2002 (4.5 MB)
- November 21, 2002 (3.4 MB)
- May 15, 2003 (4.7 MB)
- June 19, 2003 (5.2 MB)
Schedule
Go
to the Department of Public Works Construction
Information page.
For More Information
For more information about the Harvard Square Design project contact Katherine Watkins in the Public Works Department, at kwatkins@cambridgema.gov, or 617/349-4751. The Public Works Department TTY line is 617/349-4805.
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