Politics & Government
Unorthodox Tactics Used to Plan Davis Square's Future
Beginning Monday, a three-day Somerville by Design session in Davis Square will give the public time to have some fun and share their thoughts about the future of the square.
You won't be able to say you didn't know about the meeting—unless you're oblivious to three days of street performances, food trucks, public art and "improvised landscaping."
In an effort to get ideas and opinions from the public about the future of Davis Square, the city of Somerville has planned a three-day "pop-up plaza" in the square.
The temporary plaza, a counterpart to Davis Square's existing Statue Park (outside J.P. Licks and Boston Burger Company), will be set up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the Cutter Square parking lot. That's the small parking lot between Rosebud and the Citizens Bank.
For three days, the pop-up plaza will be filled with movable street furniture, improvised landscaping, food trucks, street performers, public art and demonstrations about how to build cool stuff.
Which food tucks, you ask?
- Tenoch Mexican (Monday-Wednesday, All Day)
- Yak & Yeti (Monday-Wednesday, All Day)
- Pennypackers (Monday – Wednesday 4 p.m.-9 p.m.)
- Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese (Monday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.)
- Mei Mei Street Kitchen (Tuesday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Wednesday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.)
- Black Magic Coffee (Monday, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
- Kick Ass Cup Cakes (Monday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Unorthodox planning
The plaza will allow planners to observe how the public uses the space, and it will give the public a taste of what it would be like to have a central gathering spot at that end of Davis Square, which sometimes feels neglected.
The hoopla will also alert people to a nearby design studio, where anyone can stop by, talk about plans for the square, and voice their opinions about topics as varied as trash pickup, a planned hotel, parking and public art.
The open design studio and pop-up plaza will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
The plaza will also be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and there will be a final pin-up presentation on Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
There will also planning sessions organized around specific themes related to Davis Square: parking, the local economy, a planned hotel, festivals, open space, cooperative management (things like trash pickup and street sweeping), and immediate goals.
You can learn more about the Somerville by Design sessions and the pop-up plaza at somervillebydesign.com.
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