Bring Play Streets to Your Neighborhood

This summer and fall, the Cambridge Community Development Department will support residents who would like to host a Play Street—a place for neighbors to play and build community. As part of the Cambridge Public Space Lab, we will bring pop-up play materials and staff support to neighborhood community activities.

Play Streets create a safe space for children to play freely and for neighbors to gather by temporarily closing the street to traffic. City staff will coordinate with hosts to provide equipment to set up the Play Street. We hope to encourage community building throughout the city, especially in areas that have not had a neighborhood event such as a block party before. 

If you are interested in hosting a Play Street, please fill out this form so we can gauge interest and help answer any questions. Please note: at least 30 days before your Play Street event, you will need to complete a Block Party Permit, which includes getting signatures from 75% of households or organizations on the block.

The Cambridge Public Space Lab is a testing ground for intentional community building. This new initiative seeks to cultivate inclusive and joyful public spaces, using a spirit of partnership, experimentation, and collective learning. Other projects of the Public Space Lab have included public patios in Inman Square, CloudHouse, a temporary shade pavilion Greene-Rose Heritage Park to mitigate impacts of extreme heat, and Palmer Street–an enhanced alley in Harvard Square. For more information visit cambridgema.gov/PublicSpaceLab.