Changes in Kendall Square...

Today Boston.com posted an article discussing the impact of the high demand for real estate in Kendall Square, and the subsequent high rents that are pushing out smaller start ups.....
will affordable office space become regulated and subsidized similar to affordable housing?

"To be sure, Kendall Square remains a successful business district: Office space is hard to come by, rents are rising, and it boasts a roster of marquee companies, from Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc., to Biogen Idec Inc. that are expanding there. But for all its outward bustle, Kendall Square is in transition. And ironically, it has its own success to blame, as a kind of gentrification has made Kendall too expensive or too popular for the many, smaller, younger tech businesses that gave the area such cachet."

Do you work in Kendall Square? Fill out the "City of Cambridge Innovation Survey".

*****And don't forget to contact us at kendallinnovation@gmail.com to become a participant in our upcoming study about social spaces in Kendall Square.

Urban Social Spaces: Shareabouts study in collaboration with OpenPlans

We've started a study looking at places people congregate and share ideas in Kendall Square.  We're doing this project in collaboration with OpenPlans (http://openplans.org/), who has implemented this study using their Shareabouts software.  

This map will provide a new way to collect data about where people typically congregate, what types of interactions they have in a given space, and where ideas are generated. Knowing the role of space in interaction can guide future design to encourage productivity.

Have a look at the site here, and if you are in Kendall Square, feel free to contribute a data point to our study:

http://urbansocial.shareabouts.org

Also, we're looking for people who would be interested in participating in this study for a one-month period, taking about a minute a day to contribute responses.  Send us a note at urbansocial@kendallinnovation.org if you'd like to participate or if you'd like to give us your feedback and insights.