Cost: $30,000
Location: To be determined based on need and impact. Recommend sites include Tobin school next to the basketball court, Porter Square, The Port, East Cambridge, outside libraries.
Short Description: Install chess tables in parks, city squares and near libraries to foster fresh-air, brain training, and diverse intergenerational community interaction through chess and other board games!
Long Description:
It is proposed that Cambridge install a number of square chess tables and chairs (or stools) in areas around Cambridge. These tables can be used for chess games as well as other board games such as Go, Mahjong, etc. These tables will benefit students, young professionals, the elderly, and the greater chess community for having some fun, exercising their brain and also getting fresh air! Chess can be a catalyst for a vibrant and diverse community and has been shown to be a brain-training activity that improves student’s interests and abilities in STEAM. Libraries have these board games in their circulation. In addition, these tables and chairs can also be used for eating, computer usage, reading, etc.
![A still from the movie A Little Game showing a man and a child playing chess together in a park](/-/media/Images/participatorybudgeting/pbcycles/pbcycle8/chessplayers.jpg)