What's New & Exciting

• For upcoming community meetings and classes go to the Community Calendar.
• On October 7 and October 15 the Community Development department is holding Open House discussions to review design options for renovation of Clement Morgan Park and Pine Street Park.
• The Economic Development Division has scheduled a number of workshops for small businesses or those interested in starting a small business, including the following. Commercial Lending and Current Trends in Bank Financing offers presentations by several local banks about current commercial lending services and an network with the bank representatives about ways to sustain and grow your business. Making Your Money Work is a six week program to help residents get their personal finances in shape. Click here for more workshops.
• A First time homebuyer workshop is scheduled for November on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 24th. Space is limited. Registration is first come-first-served. Please contact the Housing Division at 617/347-4622 for more information.
• A map of recent changes to the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District in the vicinity of Porter Square is available.
• New Bicycle Markings help to share the road. See more information on Shared Lane Pavement Markings.
• The Economic Development Division recently published the Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Business in Cambridge.
• The Economic Development Division is pleased to announce the publication of the 2008 version of the Women and Minority Owned Business Directory.
• Read about the Economic Development Division Workshops and more in the September 2008 Economic Development Division Newsletter.
• The City's GIS staff recently released an interactive Parks Viewer, which allows you to locate parks throughout the City of Cambridge and learn about park facilities, hours of operation and maintenance.
• The Second Quarter 2008 Development Log is now available.
• Test your soil for lead and learn what you can do to make your soil safer. Lead-Safe Cambridge's Safer Soil Program offers information and expertise.
• Learn about homeowner foreclosure prevention resources.
• Attention Cambridge Tenants and Landlords! You may qualify for home improvement services through the Lead-Safe Cambridge Program!
• A variety of resources about biotechnology are available through the Economic Development Division, including the brochure Cambridge Biotech: The Brains of Biotech The Heart of Innovation, a listing of Cambridge's life science companies. In addition, a map of biotechnology company locations throughout the City is available.
• Our detailed map of Cambridge, the only map of the City showing the direction of one way streets, is now available for viewing on line. View the Getting Around in Cambridge Map. Paper copies of the map are available at the Community Development Department office and at City Hall. For a copy of the map as well as bulk orders, contact Rosalie Anders at 617/349-4604.
• Currently, the Cambridge Housing Authority is seeking senior applicants 62 years and older, for studio units available at several locations and is also seeking applicants for the Family Public Housing Program three bedroom First Available waiting list.
• The City of Cambridge and the Henry P. Kendall Foundation have launched a major new energy initiative called the Cambridge Energy Alliance. The initiative will operate as a non-profit organization and will provide services and financing to dramatically increase energy efficiency in Cambridge buildings of all types. In addition, the initiative will assist installations of renewable energy systems and combined heat and power systems where appropriate. Residents, businesses, and others can register their interest on the Cambridge Energy Alliance web site.
• Did you know that the City Hall Annex at 344 Broadway, the location of the Department's office, is a green building? Learn More. This file is in PDF format and requires use of the free Adobe Acrobat viewer.
• Cambridge was recently ranked one of the best places to live and launch a business by Fortune Small Business. Out of 100 towns that feed and nurture a business, Cambridge ranked 35th. Rankings were based on percentages of new businesses, the area's business friendliness and lifestyle offerings to include arts venues and parks. Federal, state and city statistics and costs were also used to choose the towns that best blended business and pleasure.
• Cambridge is the best walking city in America, with more residents walking to work and more parks per square mile than any other city evaluated, according to a just-released study by Prevention magazine in its April 2008 issue and the American Podiatric Medical Association

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