The Cambridge City Council last night unanimously voted to adopt an order instructing the City Planning Board to begin work on a program which would limit Harvard's expansion into residential areas.

The council said Cambridge is in need of such a "containment policy" because expansion of the University into surrounding neighborhoods disrupts the character of the community and "seriously diminishes the quality of life for the residents."

The order specifically cited Harvard as the biggest threat to the community because its holdings are extensive in the surrounding neighborhoods, and because of its rapid growth over the last ten years.

The council is considering various strategies including the taking of land by "eminent domain," and the designation of certain lands as "scenic."

In addition, the council plans to use development moratoriums and down-zoning of property to residential status to keep out undesired development.

Although the resolution mentioned only Harvard by name, the council said it intended to use similar strategies to check the growth of other educational, and non-profit institutions in the city.

The council resolved that, "this policy should be one which the universities find acceptable," and to that end, it invited Harvard to participate in the formulation of the containment plan.