People vs. Parking Lots on Cambridge St. + Jan. 2026 ABC Social & Book Talk

After years of planning and input from thousands of neighbors, plans for more housing and vibrant retail near Cambridge St. is down to the wire on Monday. Unfortunately, a small, vocal group is trying to kill the proposal. City Council need to hear your voice loud and clear -- read on for more info on how you can weigh in. The Cambridge St. zoning petition expires next week. If it does not pass on Monday night, nothing will happen for at least six months, and likely longer. Why does that matter? Because that would mean putting gas stations and parking lots... ...over people struggling to stay in Cambridge. Continue reading

Action Alert! N. Mass Ave and Cambridge St vote Monday

Years of planning and community input are finally going to see action! The North Mass Ave and Cambridge Street zoning petitions will come before the City Council for a second reading and final passage on Monday, December 22. These petitions are one of the most important planning decisions the city will make for growing our housing capacity. Continue reading

Support Corridor Zoning at Dec 2 Ordinance Committee

We need your help to bring more homes to Cambridge! Following years of community process and planning, North Mass Ave and Cambridge Street zoning petitions to allow more housing are back before the Ordinance Committee for the 3rd time, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.   Continue reading

Election Thank You

The record turnout and results in the Cambridge City Council election show that Cambridge residents want action to address our housing shortage. They see 1,000 new affordable homes going up around them, and Cambridge leading the nation by ending exclusionary zoning and legalizing apartments citywide, and they say - yes in my backyard! Continue reading

Zoning Lessons for Affordability from National to Local Recording

If you missed ABC and Somerville YIMBY’s recent "Zoning Lessons for Affordability" panel (with Amy Dain of Boston Indicators, John Infranca of Suffolk Law, Jake Gilbert of the Massachusetts Zoning Atlas, and Vincent Rollet of MIT), you can now watch the event. Continue reading

Support N Mass Ave & Cambridge St Zoning Reforms

Following years of community process and planning, North Mass Ave and Cambridge Street zoning petitions to allow more housing are before the Ordinance Committee on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.  (There will be a continuation on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. withno public comment.) The meeting will be hybrid: in person at the Sullivan Chamber at City Hall and remotely via ZOOM at https://cambridgema.zoom.us/s/97895847144 Continue reading

Zoning Lessons for Housing Affordability: From National to Local Panel

Join us at 6 pm this Wednesday for an incredible panel event! Continue reading

ABC News, July 2025 🏘️ Ice Cream Social; Neighborhood Conservation Districts

Cambridge City Council elections, Neighborhood Conservation Districts and a powerful film on the human consequences of the housing crisis. Continue reading

Cambridge ends exclusionary zoning

On Monday, February 10, the Cambridge City Council voted 8 - 1 in favor of a zoning petition allowing new multi-family housing, up to four stories, to be built city-wide, by right. This change undoes decades of exclusionary zoning and could result in ten times as many new homes created by 2040, per City staff estimates. Continue reading

Jan. 8, 2025 Ordinance Committee

Happy New Year!   Let’s make this the year Cambridge ends exclusionary zoning!  We only have about a month left to pass citywide multifamily zoning into law. To make this a reality, we will need everyone (you and your friends) to email and comment in support. The Ordinance Committee will have public comment on the final amendment package at 5 pm, this Wednesday, January 8, before the vote on the amendments on January 16. We need people to turn out and support the current compromise proposal and urge the City Council to keep it strongly pro-housing.  Continue reading