Experts advise form-based codes, caution against relying solely on market as Cambridge debates multifamily zoning reform

Cambridge City Councilors and planning staff on the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee spent more than three hours hearing urban planners from MIT and Harvard discuss the city’s multifamily housing proposal, with presenters urging clearer links between zoning changes and the city’s Envision Cambridge plan, recommending form‑based codes and visualizations, and warning that relying only on market forces is unlikely to produce broad affordability quickly.

The discussion centered on how a draft zoning reform – described by council members as a citywide allowance for more multifamily housing in residential districts with options for additional height tied to inclusionary requirements – would translate to the spatial and social outcomes envisioned in Envision Cambridge. Professors Chris Zegras (Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT), Jeff Levine (associate professor of the practice, MIT), and Maurice Cox (Professor in Residence, Harvard Graduate School of Design) presented experiences and case studies from Somerville, Portland (Maine), Detroit and other cities.

Why it matters: Cambridge’s strategic plan, Envision Cambridge, lists housing and urban form among its top priorities. Committee members and presenters agreed the city needs more housing and must reform zoning to address affordability, but several experts urged that zoning change be paired with clear design standards, monitoring and, in many cases, public subsidy to secure middle‑ and working‑income housing.

Most important takeaways

- Form‑based codes and visualization: Multiple speakers recommended translating the city’s vision into parcel‑level form standards or pattern books so residents and developers can see…