Inman Square Public Patios

Cambridge, MA

TYPE:
Creative Placemaking

INSTALLED: Summer, 2021

Partners: City of Cambridge, East Cambridge Business Association

In Summer of 2021, Neighborways worked with the City of Cambridge to plan, design and implement two unique public patios in the heart of Inman Square as part of the City’s Public Space Lab initiative. The public patios sought to activate underutilized space in the city-owned right-of-way in a manner complementary to the outdoor dining patios which have been installed in great number in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike outdoor dining patios, which require restaurants and cafes to apply for a permit, fully build and steward a outdoor dining space for private use, the public patios are collaboratively created and stewarded for use by all members of the public, as well as neighboring businesses who would not traditionally be able to activate their own private patio.

With support from the East Cambridge Business Association and City of Cambridge, Neighborways brought together stakeholders from neighboring businesses to ask the question: What would you like to make for a public space for all to use?

Our process

After taking into consideration constraints of the spaces related to mobility, accessibility and comfort (e.g. shade, traffic barriers), the resulting design highlighted ideas from stakeholder feedback, including vibrant graphics, a waterproofed outdoor piano, and a short table for youth to sit and craft with materials from a “Little Free Craft Library”. Planters with self-watering components were also installed to help enhance ambience and offer additional buffer protection from the vehicle right-of-way.

In total, nine local independent small businesses contributed to the creation of the patios, from initial input to implementation and ongoing stewardship. Eighty-five percent of the materials used for the implementation of the patios were sourced from local independent small businesses and craftspeople. The patios are installed for a period of approximately three months and will be removed after the City conducts appropriate monitoring and evaluation prior to the street’s reconstruction.