The city of Cambridge has arrived at a critical moment in its long and celebrated history. The center of a dynamic economy, our community is being tested as new wealth creates new social distances and stresses.
Can the city preserve a heritage of diversity and inclusion as it becomes a boomtown – the epicenter of a regional innovation economy? Will Cambridge’s prized combination of different backgrounds and perspectives survive?
These questions were among the topics at a forum presented by Cambridge Community Foundation March 1 at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square which included the release of a report titled Boomtown/Hometown: What the Numbers say about Income, Housing and Education in Cambridge Today.
This report draws attention to three powerful trends shaping our city’s future: increasing income inequality, rapidly rising housing costs and persistent educational disparities. Where are these trends taking Cambridge? Can our city-with its booming innovation economy and exceptional community assets-keep its historic commitment to social justice and create a future in which prosperity is shared across the entire community.
