"Knafel is essentially a development deal," Pitkin says. "It does not come out of a systematic thinking of how this area will work."

"Sometimes they hide behind legalities, talking about zoning and setbacks, and ignore the use concerns that we have," Kline says.

Powers, however, believes that the University has always had a "consistent commitment to community concerns," and plans to continue that commitment in future development.

As the University tries to develop and improve the look of the soft edges, residents say they have noticed a change in policy.

Along with plans along Banks Street, which runs along the eastern and southern edge of the campus near Mather House, transition-zone planning is also occurring on Hammond Street in the Agassiz neighborhood along the northern edge of the campus, where Harvard owns a large parking lot that could be a site of future development.

To match the Banks Street and Agassiz transition areas to their neighborhoods, the development office is proposing specific zoning codes for each transition area.

Residents are pleased with the approach that the University has taken with these future development areas.

"They are approaching it more as planning they have a vision of how it should work," Pitkin said.