Turning the focus to development, Galluccio said there was a "real phobia against University expansion in the city," and suggested that Harvard build graduate student housing at Alewife and have students commute, thus stopping students from driving up rents.

Audience member and council candidate Vincent Lawrence Dixon criticized Galluccio's suggestion, however.

"I think universities should have all their students housed on campus," he said. "At 20- or 30,000 per year, I don't think they can justify not providing housing."

Dixon also argued that the 15 percent affordable-housing target still leaves 85 percent of the city's housing unaffordable, something which is unacceptable as once-affordable neighborhoods become increasingly expensive.

"[Cambridge] is going to become an extremely wealthy island," he said.