He cites the “death of Harvard Square” as the most visible example, saying the area has turned into “one giant, sterile, outdoor corporate mall” overrun by cell phone stores.

In his election effort two years ago— in which he placed 17th out of 24 candidates—Williamson said the replacement of the classic Harvard Square diner The Tasty by an Abercrombie & Fitch chain was emblematic of the problems facing Cambridge.

“You can’t find a decent coffeehouse or a place to get an affordable meal anymore,” Williamson says.

But while Williamson remains passionate about the issues central to his campaign, he also knows that he stands little chance of being elected.

He even goes so far as to endorse other candidates, saying challengers John Pitkin and E. Denise Simmons deserve to be elected, since they best represent the ideas he also supports.

“It’s not about just voting for me,” Williamson says. “It’s about intelligent support for the kind of politics you want to see in your city.”

—Staff writer Imtiyaz H. Delawala can be reached at delawala@fas.harvard.edu.