Alewife District Plan

2018
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Project Manager & Lead Designer at Utile
See the full report here

Alewife is undergoing rapid change and faces unique environmental, mobility, and infrastructure challenges. This plan aims to set a vision for future development to transform the district into a fully functioning urban neighborhood and advance citywide goals, including economic opportunity, climate change resilience, and walkability.

The community crafted a shared vision for Alewife that prioritizes economic opportunity, connectivity, resilience, and social cohesion. To support this vision, the community developed the following areawide goals:

Build a Cohesive Mixed-Use District
Integrate Alewife with the Rest of Cambridge
Promote Economic Opportunity
Create a District Resilient to the Impacts of Climate Change
Enhance the Public Realm
Encourage Sustainable Modes of Transportation
Create a Continuous Open Space & Recreation Network

The Alewife Planning Study involved extensive data analysis, community engagement, and scenario testing that compared alternate futures for the district. These components were not separate from one another: community feedback, informed by experience and data, shaped both the development of scenarios and the plan’s recommendations. An actionable plan emerged through iteration and refinement based on public discussion and feedback.

Role: As the project manager and lead designer, I coordinated a team of planners, landscape architects, transportation engineers, and financial analysts to assess the redevelopment potential. I was also primarily responsible for spatial planning and associated scenario planning, representation, and engagement material.