The Community Development Department is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge.

The Community Development Department is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. We work to enhance the character and diversity of the city's neighborhoods, preserve and increase affordable housing, create and promote accessible and sustainable mobility, build environmental resilience, and support sustainable economic growth. Through these initiatives, we strive to enrich the lives of residents, expand their opportunities, and contribute to a healthy urban environment. CDD takes an interdisciplinary approach to manage and guide evolution of our urban environment in a manner consistent with the City’s priorities. We engage and collaborate with community partners, other government agencies, businesses and residents to make Cambridge a desirable place to live, work, learn, play, and innovate. Learn more about the Department.

Features

News and Announcements

  • Cambridge Plays Application is Now Open!

    Do you have an idea of how to activate a Cambridge park or plaza? We are currently looking for local businesses and non-profits to submit proposals for ways to activate public parks and plazas during May - July 2023.

  • Draft One Year Action Plan

    A Draft version of the FY2024 One Action Plan is available for review.

  • 2023 Neighborhood Action Plans - Idea Maps

    We're starting Neighborhood Action Plans for Mid-Cambridge, Neighborhood Nine, and Wellington-Harrington and we need your help!

  • Vacant Storefront Creative Design Contest Winners Announced

    Six artists have been chosen to participate in a City of Cambridge initiative to energize Cambridge neighborhoods by filling vacant store windows with reproductions of locally-made art.

  • Cambridge Celebrates National Small Business Month

    The City of Cambridge is celebrating National Small Business Month in May 2023! Throughout the month join us for webinars and other events to provide resources to local small businesses and entrepreneurs, and to celebrate the importance of small businesses to Cambridge's vibrant community.

  • Recent Data Updates

    The Development Log, published quarterly, tracks large-scale residential, commercial and institutional development projects currently in the permitting or construction phases in the City of Cambridge.

  • City of Cambridge Becomes the First City in New England to Work with BlocPower on Building Decarbonization

    The City of Cambridge and BlocPower announced a new pilot partnership to help multifamily buildings upgrade with energy efficiency, rooftop solar, and more comfortable, all-electric heating, cooling, and hot water systems. Supporting buildings in completing such upgrades is an important step in achieving the goals of Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan, including the city’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.

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