Alewife Commercial District Assessment Released

The 2025 Alewife Commercial District Assessment Report is now available. The purpose of the report is to highlight a commercial district in Cambridge and to identify key issues and opportunities in the area.  

The report can be used in many different ways. The City uses the report to understand the district’s challenges and prioritize initiatives. Businesses use it to learn more about who shops in the area and consider opportunities for growth. The report also serves as a marketing tool to advertise the area.  

The report features the results of two surveys. The first survey is a Customer Intercept Survey. In this survey, we ask people spending time in Alewife about their experience. The second survey is a Small Business Survey. In the business survey, we ask small ground floor retail businesses in Alewife about their experience in the area. We selected survey questions based off the recommendations of the Retail Strategic Plan. 

The report was created by the Community Development Department. We study a different commercial district every year. A commercial district is an area where there are many businesses. Cambridge has nine unique commercial districts. 

If you have questions about this report, please contact Sarah Jane Huber, Associate Economic Development Specialist, at shuber@cambridgema.gov.