But throughout these renewal efforts, representatives of the city say they have always focused on protecting the character of Cambridge’s many neighborhoods.
“The main focus of the city is to protect its neighborhoods [while] at the same time creating an economic base that supports the programs the city has,” Sullivan says.
Nostalgically, Thompson remembers the Harvard Square that predates renewal efforts as being “a little funky.”
“You could get roast beef sandwich for 39 cents,” Thompson says.
But Thompson, who still lives in Cambridge, says the Square has since changed.
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The sandwich shop, now gone, has been replaced by an ATM.
—Staff writer Rediet T. Abebe can be reached at rtesfaye@college.harvard.edu.