Retail Land Use Initiative

Inman Square

The goal of the Retail Land Use Initiative was to revise the way retail establishments are categorized in the Zoning Ordinance to provide more consistent and predictable regulation of retail uses in the city. This project also fulfilled recommendations made in the Retail Strategic Plan and Envision Cambridge around helping reduce regulatory barriers for small businesses.  

Objectives of this initiative included: provide consistent and understandable definitions for all retail uses, define retail uses that are not currently listed, revise use and parking regulations based on new definitions, and consider other specific changes where appropriate. 

On June 7, 2021, the City Council adopted changes to the City’s zoning regulations for retail businesses and home occupations. This was the outcome of years of work by City staff with input from the small business community. The changes took effect on adoption and are fully incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance text.

These are some of the changes that were made:

  • Retail or consumer service establishments all now have definitions in Article 2.000 of the Zoning Ordinance.
  • More retail businesses are allowed in more business districts throughout the city – most are as-of-right, but some need a special permit.
  • New parking does not need to be created when a new business moves into an existing building.
  • Cottage Food Use is allowed in home-based kitchens.

Helpful links:


Community Development Department staff have had a series of ongoing discussions to gather feedback, including outreach to business associations, an online survey to businesses, and meetings with the City Council’s Economic Development and University Relations Committee. Staff have also researched past Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) cases to identify typical zoning issues for small businesses.

April 14, 2021

The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Ordinance petition and the Home Occupations Zoning Ordinance petition

Click here to review zoning petition materials.

Click here for more information. 

March 9, 2021

The Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Ordinance petition and the Home Occupations Zoning Ordinance petition.

Click here to review zoning petition materials.

Click here for more information. 

December 17, 2020 

The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Ordinance petition and the Home Occupations Zoning Ordinance petition. Please note that this session was cancelled due to weather. 

Click here to review zoning petition materials.

Click here for meeting information. 

December 1, 2020

The Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Ordinance petition and the Home Occupations Zoning Ordinance petition.

Click here to review zoning petition materials.

Click here for more information. 

October 19, 2020

The City Council voted unanimously to refer the following to Planning Board and Ordinance Committee for hearing and report. 

See additional meeting information.

September 30, 2020

The Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing for the purpose of receiving an update on the Retail Land Use Initiative and Retail Table of Land Use update.

See additional meeting information.

July 30, 2020

The Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing for the purpose of receiving an update on the Retail Land Use Initiative and Retail Table of Land Use update.

See additional meeting information.

February 13, 2019

The Economic Development and University Relations Committee conducted a public hearing to discuss updates from the Retail Strategy Plan.

Location: City Hall Sullivan Chamber, 795 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02139
Time: 12:00 p.m.

Additional information and remote viewing of the meeting is available through the City's Open Meeting Portal

Community Development Department (CDD) engaged with planning consulting firm Community Opportunity Group, Inc. to develop the Commercial Land Use Classification Study, providing recommendations to the City on ways to update, consolidate, and clarify commercial classifications in the Zoning Ordinance.

In 2017, the City’s Retail Strategic Plan consultant recommended that the City incorporate recommendations from the Classification Study to allow for more flexible and new retail uses, and as a way to make Cambridge more supportive and friendly environment for small businesses and to reduce regulatory barriers for entrepreneurs.

The goal of the Retail Land Use Initiative zoning change is to target retail uses in the commercial section of the current table of uses in the Cambridge zoning ordinance in order to fulfill the Retail Strategic Plan and Commercial Land Use Classification Study recommendations.

CDD Zoning Staff, cddzoning@cambridgema.gov

Pardis Saffari, Senior Economic Development Manager, 617/349-4654 or psaffari@cambridgema.gov