A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a summary of a Planning Board Meeting on the 2020 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS P L A N N I N G B O A R D CITY HALL ANNEX, 344 BROADWAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 Page 1 of 3 Date: May 26, 2021 Subject: 2020 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations To the Honorable, the City Council, On February 2, 2021, the Cambridge Planning Board met to hear the annual Town Gown presentations from educational institutions. Four schools reported to the Board: Harvard University, Hult International School of Business, Lesley University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Town Gown reporting process enables the Planning Board to better understand the educational missions of the universities and how they relate to programmatic needs and, in turn, future development of the physical campus. The reports, presentations, and comment period all provide valuable insight into the institutional planning process and help set expectations for future growth. On a practical level, this knowledge prepares the Planning Board to review cases involving institutional development. The information gained from Town Gown provides the Board with a clearer understanding of where individual projects fit into an institution’s programmatic and physical plans. The presentations centered around each institution’s long-term plans for campus assets, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Overall, Board members expressed appreciation for the presentations and for the contributions that the educational institutions make to the Cambridge community. Particularly in light of the difficulties of the COVID-19 crisis, the presence and support of these institutions are vital to all of Cambridge. Following presentations and public comment, the Planning Board offered observations and asked additional questions of the institutions. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Planning Board voted to send the following summary of Board questions and comments to the City Council related to school facilities: • Meeting the housing needs of students remains a primary concern. It was noted that MIT conducted a study of student housing needs, has committed to the development of new graduate student housing based on the results, and is now executing on those plans. Board members asked for similar analysis from other institutions, and noted the following specific issues: o Harvard University: With affiliate housing assets reassigned to address undergraduate housing needs created by the House Renovation Program, it is unclear how housing

City of Cambridge, MA • Planning Board Report 2020 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations May 26, 2021 Page 2 of 3 for graduate students will be addressed in the long term. Harvard was asked to study graduate student housing needs, as MIT has done. o Hult International School of Business: The school recently completed new student housing to meet the needs of current enrollment, However, the institution projects a relatively large increase in student population over the coming years. Offsetting continuing impact on the local housing market requires further attention and effort on the part of the institution. Because Hult has a more unusual program, involving six- month rotations at different campuses, the school may need to apply a more innovative approach to meet the housing needs of students. o Lesley University: Though Lesley does not project short-term growth in its on- campus student population, long-term opportunities for student housing should be studied. Options to consider include the redevelopment of parking lots near Porter Square. Existing buildings at the South Campus (formerly shared with the Episcopal Divinity School) offer another opportunity, but changes in use of existing structures there might be limited by the historic nature of the facility. • Based on the experience of the pandemic, has there been discussion of future telecommuting and flexible work policies for persons who previously worked on site full-time, or other flexibility in commuting? • What efforts have Harvard and MIT made to share with other institutions lessons learned and research undertaken in support of efforts to enhance campus sustainability? • More information was requested about Harvard’s plans and timeline to complete the electrification of its shuttle bus system. • Are there plans for the future use of the Loeb Drama Center, given the anticipated relocation of the American Repertory Theater? • Are there plans to consider the renaming of buildings and streets named after slaveholders? • What have schools with retail tenants learned about support for retail business by responding to the stresses created by the COVID-19 pandemic? • What are the acceptance rates for Cambridge residents? What programs provide enhanced enrollment opportunities for graduates of local schools, such as scholarships directed to Cambridge residents? A few additional questions came up as well. Related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, institutions were asked whether there is there an opportunity to set up a public COVID-19 vaccination center at a university facility? Are schools willing to consider housing homeless

City of Cambridge, MA • Planning Board Report 2020 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations May 26, 2021 Page 3 of 3 persons in dormitories temporarily vacated due to the pandemic? Those institutions with endowments were queried about their investment policies, specifically, how much of each school’s endowment is invested in fossil fuel companies or private prison companies, and if there are plans to divest those holdings. The institutions were also all asked about steps they can take to enhance efforts to purchase goods and services from minority and women owned local firms. Respectfully submitted for the Planning Board, Catherine Preston Connolly, Chair.