City Politics
‘It’s Way Past Time’: How Cambridge is Reconsidering its 80-Year-Old Form of Government
Last August, the Cambridge City Council appointed 15 residents to a charter review committee set to reassess the city’s form of government and recommended changes. The committee continues to grapple with its first major dilemma: Should the city be run by a mayor or a city manager?
A Crimson Commonwealth: The Harvard Alumni Who Run Massachusetts
As Harvard affiliates continue to interact with and fill the Massachusetts government, it often falls to the University’s own to create policy and settle disagreements that directly affect Harvard. How does their time at the University influence the way they approach these disputes, and what is the effect of Harvard’s impact on Massachusetts leaders?
Kenzie Bok ’11 Talks Path from Harvard Student and Teacher to City Councilor
In an interview with The Crimson, Kenzie Bok ’11 described the formative influence of her time at Harvard — both as a student and lecturer — on her career, including both her policy and her political philosophy.
Cambridge Charter Review Committee Split on City Manager Versus Mayor in Tuesday Meeting
The Cambridge Charter Review Committee met on Zoom this Tuesday to discuss changes to Cambridge’s plan of government, with members debating potential changes to the charter’s framework of city leadership.
Advocates Call for Greater Accountability for Harvard, Other Nonprofits at PILOT Hearing
The Boston City Council held a hearing to review its payment in lieu of taxes program Friday, hearing testimony from residents and advocates on drawbacks and potential updates to the program that Boston has run since 2011.
Cambridge City Council Weighs Memorial Drive Traffic Closures, Mental Health Outreach
The Cambridge City Council debated a policy order to expand Memorial Drive traffic closures and discussed an upcoming Cambridge mental health resources report at a meeting Monday.
Cambridge City Councilors Developing Proposal for Expanded After-School Program
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Councilors Marc C. McGovern and Burhan Azeem are developing a policy order aimed at expanding after-school care, following more than a year of advocacy by Cambridge Public Schools parents.
Harvard Affiliates Criticize Lack of Campus Response to Cambridge Police Killing of Sayed Faisal
Some Harvard affiliates are disappointed by the lack of response from Harvard students to the killing of 20-year-old University of Massachusetts Boston student Sayed Faisal by Cambridge Police.
Protesters at City Hall Condemn CPD for Killing of Sayed Faisal and Question External Review
Roughly 100 protesters gathered outside of Cambridge City Hall on Monday for the latest demonstration in a monthslong series of protests following the killing of 20-year-old Sayed Faisal by a Cambridge Police officer.
Cambridge City Councilors, Residents Weigh Alternative Responses to Mental Health-Related 911 Calls
Cambridge city councilors and local residents considered a proposed alternative to police responding to mental health-related 911 calls and discussed whether officers should patrol the Cambridge Housing Authority’s L.B. Johnson Apartments at their weekly meeting Monday.
Protesters Condemn City Manager, Renew Calls to Name Officers Involved in Killing of Sayed Faisal
More than 100 protesters condemned Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 and other city officials during a Monday rally and teach-in at City Hall for not releasing the names of officers involved in the January police killing of Sayed Faisal.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 Names Members of City Reparations Task Force
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 announced the 10 members of the newly-formed Reparations Task Force to “study the lasting impacts of slavery in Boston,” according to a Feb. 7 press release.
Allston Residents Express Skepticism over Wu’s BPDA Reforms
Following a Jan. 25 announcement by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 of her plans to reform the Boston Planning and Development Agency, Allston advocates expressed skepticism over whether the changes would substantially benefit their neighborhood.
Cambridge Council Housing Committee Discusses Affordable Housing Expansion Plan
Cambridge City Council’s Housing Committee met Wednesday to discuss proposals to loosen height restrictions and increase floor space in affordable housing.
Harvard IOP State of the Union Watch Party Filled with Cheers and Laughs
President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address evoked applause, jeers, and laughter from attendees at a Harvard Institute of Politics watch party on Tuesday night.
A Reckoning on Cambridge Police: City Grapples with Police Killing of Sayed Faisal
Sayed Faisal's death by police has thrown Cambridge into an uproar, leading to protests across the city, confrontations with city officials at public meetings, and the storming of City Hall. Some have charged that his death was an incident of police brutality, racism, and Islamophobia.
City Councilors Spar Over Body Cameras, Police Oversight at Special Meeting on Shooting of Sayed Faisal
Cambridge City Councilors sparred over whether the Cambridge Police Department should implement body cameras and what role the Council should play in regulating the department at a special meeting Wednesday on the police killing of Sayed Faisal.
At First State of the City Address, Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 Promises City Planning Overhaul
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 promised to overhaul the city’s urban planning strategy and build more affordable housing during her first State of the City address on Wednesday evening.
Cambridge Residents Call for Transparency at Inaugural Charter Review Forum
The Cambridge Charter Review Committee — tasked by the Cambridge City Council with recommending changes to the city’s charter — convened for its first public forum at the Cambridge Public Library Tuesday evening to discuss election procedures and civic engagement.
Protesters March Into City Hall to Demand Justice for Sayed Faisal
Protesters stormed Cambridge City Hall and marched into Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui’s office Monday evening to demand answers on the police killing of Sayed Faisal, calling on city and police officials to release the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
Residents Discuss Turning Central Square Home Into Cultural Center at City Council Meeting
The Cambridge City Council discussed a proposal to create a new arts center in Central Square in a Monday meeting that was later disrupted by protesters and moved online.
Justice for Faisal Protest at City Hall
Fatema Ahmad, Executive Director of the Muslim Justice League, called for sustained protest commitment from attendees and bashed the elected officials who she said attempted to reassure her at a Monday protest in front of Cambridge City Hall.
Cambridge City Council Calls for Higher Salaries for Harvard Clerical, Technical Workers
The Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted a resolution last week urging Harvard to raise the salaries of its clerical and technical workers to keep up with the pace of inflation and rising costs of living.