Cambridge Common

Cyclist on dirt path in Common

The Cambridge Common is a major city park as well as a National Historic Landmark.  The 16 acre park which is centrally located outside of Harvard Square surrounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Garden Street and Waterhouse Street has a long and colorful history, and is an important local resource as well as a tourist attraction.

The Common contains the popular Alexander W. Kemp Playground re-built in 2009, a playing field, lawns, historic monuments, and pathways.  The park acts as a haven for neighborhood people who want a place to relax in the sun or on a bench under a tree.  The Common is also significant in that over 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists use the paths and sidewalks on a daily basis.

This project has been completed. No further updates to this project page will be made.

The recently completed Cambridge Common and Flagstaff Park project rehabilitated all aspects of the Common as well as improved conditions for all users of these parks and those travelling along this section of Massachusetts Avenue, from Garden Street to Cambridge Street. It also worked to unify the historic landscape of the Common by simplifying the vocabulary of the design.

Click on the link to learn more about the Cambridge Common and Flagstaff Park Project.

Learn more about the Alexander W. Kemp Playground completed in 2009.

 

The Cambridge Common underwent its last significant reconstruction in 1974. The Cambridge Common and Flagstaff Park project is currently underway and aims to rehabilitate all aspects of the Common as well as improve conditions park users and those travelling along the adjacent section of Massachusetts Avenue, from Garden Street to Cambridge Street. The project will replace all pathway surfaces, replace and upgrade all benches and trash cans, plant over 100 trees, improve drainage and turf surfaces, and improve the lighting system.  The Alexander W. Kemp Playground at the Cambridge Common was also renovated in 2009.   

 

  • Cambridge Common
  • Cambridge Common
  • Cambridge Common
  • Cambridge Common
  • Cambridge Common
  • Cambridge Common

Park Maintenance Parks Division
Department of Public Works
617/349-4885
Playing Field Reservations Recreation Division
Department of Human Service Programs
617/349-6238
Planning a Party or Special Event Operations Center
Department of Public Works
617/349-4846
Cambridge Common & Flagstaff Park Improvements Project (2014) Bill Deignan
Community Development Department
617/349-4632 or wdeignan@cambridgema.gov
Alexander W. Kemp Playground Redesign Project (2009) Gary Chan
Community Development Department
617/349-4603 or gchan@cambridgema.gov