OUR WORK
KENDALL SQUARE: CAMBRIDGE, MA
A glance at past and present development in Kendall Square, examining demographics, greenspace, and climate resilience.
History
Kendall Square—as we know it to be today—took root in the 1960s with the inception of the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Plan (KSURP) created by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) and the City of Cambridge. At this time, the Square was developing into a bustling, mixed-use area with new retail, residential, and office spaces. KSURP originally served to prepare Kendall Square to be an Electronic Research Center for NASA —transforming 42 acres of blighted land into developable land and moving businesses and roadways—but continued to guide development in the area after NASA abandoned operations in 1970. In 1978, the construction of new buildings in Kendall Square began when the CRA named Boston Properties the area’s developer. The CRA stated that the area is: “a unique opportunity area, one that should be reserved to maximize its locational advantages”
Demographics
Social Vulnerability
The Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program (GRASP) under the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) created the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). This index examined 15 social factors from the American Community Survey and categorized them into four major themes: Socioeconomic; Household Composition and Disability; Minority Status and Language; Housing and Transportation. Each theme is ranked based on percentile with values from 0 to 1—broken into four ranges in each map—with vulnerability increasing towards 1.
The Socioeconomic Index under SVI encompasses the following factors: income, below poverty, no high school diploma, and unemployment. Kendall Square has a nearly even split between the two middle ranges of vulnerability, while the rest of Cambridge favors the two lower ranges.
The Household Composition and Disability Index under SVI encompasses the following factors: age under 17 years or over 65 years, older than 5 years with a disability, and single-parent households. Kendall Square is mostly in the lowest range with the middle area in the second lowest range.
The Minority Status and Language Index under SVI encompasses the following factors: minority and speaks English "less than well." Kendall Square is nearly equally split between the three highest ranges.
The Housing and Transportation Index under SVI encompasses the following factors: multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle, and group quarters. Kendall Square is mostly in the highest range with the middle area in the second lowest range.
This map shows the overall percentile rankings for each tract which was found by summing the four themes. A pattern shown in each theme is also present here: three tracts are present in Kendall Square, with the middle tract never aligning with the top tract. The overall ranking shows that the majority of Kendall is in the second least vulnerable range, with the middle being in the second highest vulnerable range.
Environmental Justice Communities
The MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) created the Environmental Justice (EJ) Populations dataset—and corresponding datalayers—as a part of their EJ Policy, which makes environmental justice a priority in all EEA programs. In this dataset (for the 2020 update), Block Groups are identified as EJ Populations based on the following criteria :
- Median Household Income: median HHI as percent of the MA median HHI (MHHI) in 2019 less than or equal to 65.49% [$56,220]
- English Language Isolation: 24.5% or more Limited English-speaking households
- Minority Population (two potential qualifiers): 39.5% or more minority population; or 24.5 to 39.5% minority population AND a MHHI less than 150.5% of the state MHHI
While there are three criteria groups, the dataset also shows the intersection of these groups (e.g., Minority and English isolation). As seen below, the majority of Kendall Square would be considered an EJ Population based on the Minority Population criteria. This is representative of the majority of Cambridge, with some smaller areas also fulfilling Income and English isolation requirements combined with Minority Population.
MA 2020 Environmental Justice Block Groups
Greenspace
While major protected green spaces and parks/playgrounds are tracked by Massachusetts and Cambridge respectively, it's important to note that this data changes frequently as new developments arise or existing spaces are expanded.
As a primarily commercial district, Kendall Square has limited major protected and recreational green spaces within its limits; however, smaller lawns and parks exist in and around the Square.
Most notably, the Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park —previously known as the Rogers Street Park—was redesigned under the Eastern Cambridge/Kendall Open Space Study and Connect Kendall Square Open Space Competition, which will guide the development of three parks in East Cambridge.
Climate Resilience: Flooding
Flooding Predictions
Kendall Square exists along the Charles River, making it vulnerable to flooding that is only exacerbated by climate change.
By 2030, the Charles River is predicted to flood onto the banks of Cambridge and Boston.
By 2050, the river is predicted to continue flooding onto the banks with additional flooding inland.
While the additional flooding in Kendall Square is not as significant...
...more significant flooding is predicted just west of Kendall Square's borders.
By 2090, predicted flooding is much more significant. Both coastal and inland flooding could impact Kendall Square.
At this point, the inland flooding west of Kendall Square will continue and seep into Kendall's borders.
Climate Preparedness
“Essential components of effective whole-community planning include adoption of universal design standards and involving people with disabilities throughout the planning process. A lack of inclusive disaster planning will have a devastating impact on community resilience overall, just when it is needed most.” From A resilient community is one that includes and protects everyone
a. Kendall Square
While citywide climate efforts in Cambridge impact Kendall Square's resilience, the Kendall Square Association and MIT have also prioritized incorporating sustainability measures in new development and emphasized the area's role as a hub of sustainability-related innovation.
- MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems works on nuclear fusion reactors that could provide abundant, safe, and consistent clean energy.
- MIT spinout Quaise Energy uses millimeter wave drilling technology to harvest deep geothermal energy.
- MIT's "Fast Forward" Climate Action Plan aims for net-zero emissions by 2026 and an elimination of direct emission by 2050.
b. Cambridge
Resilient Cambridge is the City's climate change preparedness and resilience plan developed with residents, institutions, businesses, and other stakeholders. The plan focuses on risk from rising sea levels and increasing temperatures and rainfall; strategies are organized under Closer Neighborhoods, Better Buildings, Stronger Infrastructure, and Greener City. Flooding preparedness is a priority of the plan that takes the form of:
- Education and Community Building: Flooding Preparation for Businesses; Flood Viewer Map; Resilient City Resilient People summary report and associated Story Maps; the City is working with community organizations to develop a strong support network
- Infrastructure Investments: new buildings in Cambridge are built to withstand the 2070 10% flood elevation and recover from the 2070 1% flood elevation; underground stormwater storage tanks have been installed in Central Square and the Tobin School
Risk Assessment: the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment is used to determine the City's physical and social vulnerabilities
Current development
2010
Since 2010, MIT has collaborated with the community to make Kendall Square “the most innovative square mile on the planet.” The Kendall Square Initiative, guided by KSURP, holds stakeholder and community input as a priority in this process.
2015
In 2015, the most recent major KSURP amendment provided 4 million square feet of mixed-use development.
2016
In May of 2016, the Cambridge Planning Board approved MIT’s proposed $1.2 billion redevelopment plan for Kendall Square. This plan involves the construction of six buildings, the replacement of parking lots and older buildings, the rebuilding of the Kendall/MIT MBTA station, and development around housing, offices, and commercial spaces. This Kendall Square Urban Renewal Implementation Plan tracks CRA progress in the following areas: transportation, open space, economic development, sustainability, and housing.
2018
While Kendall Square redevelopment is ongoing, progress has been made on several projects, including the completion of the 6th Street Walkway in 2018…
2019
..As well as the completion of the Ames Street Redevelopment and 145 Broadway in 2019.
PRESENT
Development in Kendall Square is ongoing.