Dennis is currently serving his third term on the Cambridge City Council, where he has earned recognition as an advocate for social justice through his expertise in citywide planning, transit policy, and sustainability initiatives.
In addition to serving on the council, Dennis has worked as a planner, architect, and urban design consultant since 1970. His firm, Carlone & Associates, has advised the City of Cambridge and its Planning Board, as well as other municipalities such as Boston, Chelsea, Plymouth, and Winchester, as well as public and private institutions.
Dennis has been recognized with numerous awards for urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, planning and implementation strategies at the local, regional, and national levels. Most notably, he was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Award for Excellence in Urban Design for the design and implementation of the East Cambridge Riverfront Plan. This project transformed a 40-acre swath of underutilized, decaying land along the riverfront into a thriving, mixed-use community. The project attracted over a billion dollars’ worth of investment while earning the support of the East Cambridge neighborhood planning team and creating significant public open space at the river’s edge and the transformed Lechmere Canal.
Since joining the council in 2014, Dennis led the call for a new, citywide master plan to better guide future development, which is currently underway seeking input and recommendations across the city. He continues to advocate for more affordable housing, the preservation and expansion of public open space, strengthening small business, and new human-scaled buildings that fit within the context of existing neighborhoods. He continues to meet with neighborhood and development groups to find common ground and sustainable solutions.
As the Chairperson of the council’s Ordinance Committee during the 2016-2017 term, Dennis focused on initiatives to mitigate traffic impact and promote bicycle and pedestrian safety across the city. He also continues to stand up for the rights of immigrants, organized labor, and low-income residents. And as a lifelong environmentalist, Dennis has championed many bold sustainability measures, such as the Net Zero Action Plan and the Plastic Bag Ban.
Dennis moved to Cambridge with his wife Katie to attend graduate school, and the couple immediately fell in love with the city and decided to settle here and start a family. His educational background includes a Master's degree of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University along with Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Building Science degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, both with Honors. In addition, he completed his thesis on Early Childhood Education for disadvantaged children, and he has also taught at Lesley, Boston and Harvard Universities.
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