What's New

Zoning Year in Review: 2023

Have you thought about keeping hens at home? Or letting other electric vehicle owners use your at-home charger when you’re not using it? Those are just two of the things you can do because of changes to the Zoning Ordinance last year.  

The City Council adopted eight Zoning Amendments in 2023, including a major rezoning of the Alewife Quadrangle area and new resilience standards to deal with flooding and heat caused by changing climate. Zoning changes also made it easier to open a cannabis retail store in Cambridge and to have outdoor entertainment and retail in Central Square.

You can look at zoning amendments that have been adopted or are under consideration on the CDD web page, and you can always reach out to our team at cddzoning@cambridgema.gov with questions.

How Did It Get Built? 325 Binney Street (New Moderna HQ) 

Construction is wrapping up on 325 Binney Street (Planning Board Special Permit #367). This 370,000 square-foot building was approved by the Planning Board in 2020 on what used to be the Metropolitan Pipe & Supply site on the edge of Kendall Square. It will be the new Moderna headquarters.

The building has many sustainable features such as a ground-source (geothermal) well field and an air-source heat pump system, rooftop solar array, terrace-level raingardens to capture and reuse rainwater, and more.   



As part of the rezoning for the site, the owner, Alexandria Real Estate, agreed to give the City a stretch of land and over $11 million to build the Grand Junction Multiuse Path from Binney to Cambridge Street. Alexandria also committed to help relocate a planned electrical substation from Fulkerson Street to Kendall Square. The Fulkerson Street site will eventually go to the City as well. 

What's Coming Up

Featured at the Planning Board  

The Planning Board is made up of Cambridge residents who make recommendations and decisions about urban development on behalf of the City. 

May 7: The Board will review a proposal to change how “Family” is defined in the Zoning Ordinance. This affects how different types of housing are defined. After talking with members of the City’s LGBTQ+ Commission, CDD has proposed a definition that includes any group of people living together as a household. The Planning Board will make a recommendation to the City Council, who will vote on the change.  

May 21: The Board will discuss a citizen petition that proposes a zoning change to allow multifamily residential uses across the City.

See Planning Board Meetings for more information about these and other upcoming cases at the Planning Board. 

Other Meetings of Interest 

City Council Housing Committee, May 8: The committee will talk about zoning related to multi-family and affordable housing. This meeting will include the topic of “exclusionary zoning.” Click here for more information. 

Mass Ave Planning Study (MAPS), May 29: This virtual meeting will focus on the area of Mass Ave between Porter Square and Cambridge Common. Learn more about MAPS, sign up for project updates, and share your input here. 

Just for Fun

What is "Zoning" anyways?

Zoning Time Machine – 1924 Zoning Ordinance

Did you know that the first Cambridge Zoning Ordinance was adopted 100 years ago in 1924? Our team has been combing through the archives to make information about Cambridge’s zoning history available to the public. We are also planning other ways to commemorate Cambridge’s Zoning Centennial throughout the year. We will explore its history and look at the work we have done in recent decades to make the Ordinance more equitable. In the meantime, read the 1924 Zoning Law and Building Code and look at the very first Cambridge Zoning Map online.

Meet the Team

The Z&D team enjoys working on policies and projects related to zoning regulations. You may run into the Z&D team outside the office performing planning reconnaissance & supporting local businesses through team lunches. 

We hope you enjoyed this newsletter. We’ll be back next month!  

Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive next month’s newsletter.