The Davis Square Neighborhood Plan comment period has been extended to allow additional input from community members. Comments will now be accepted through Friday, August 30. The plan will then be presented to the Planning Board on September 5, 2019. Planning Board meeting details will be posted to the city calendar, so please check there for details.

The Davis Square Neighborhood Plan is a culmination of six years of work with residents, community stakeholders, local businesses, and elected officials, with the support of Gehl Architects, an internationally renowned leader in the area of people-centered urban design. It focuses on making Davis Square a place for people and on how to enhance the character of the Square even as things change within and around it. It is one of a number of neighborhood plans developed through community process for targeted areas of the city.

Neighborhood plans take into consideration the long-term future of a neighborhood to identify challenges and opportunities and establish goals. Common topics discussed include building height and form, open space, the types of uses desired (residential, retail, office, fabrication, etc.), and more. Neighborhood planning allows members of the community to help shape a Square’s future. Neighborhood plans then help project teams develop project proposals according to community goals and priorities before they even start the more detailed community discussions and permit application process required before approval or denial of a project.

Please visit the City’s Somerville by Design website for more information and to review the plan at www.SomervilleByDesign.com. All comments and questions should be sent to planning@somervillema.gov by Friday, August 30, 2019.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.