Medford Square Master Plan: What Is It?

MEDFORD, MA — More information has come out regarding the Medford Square Master Plan, the City's "Economic Revitalization Strategy" downtown.

Here are some excerpts from the Executive Summary, which can be seen here.

Study Description

Medford Square is positioned to leverage new investment in mixed-use and walkable districts to invigorate vitality, expand access to health and cultural resources, and activate a revitalized downtown that offers a concentration of opportunities for live, work, and play in Medford and the surrounding area.

The City of Medford’s Office of Community Development partnered with the Metropolitan Area
Planning Council to prepare the Medford Square Master Plan to guide economic development and physical improvements. The Master Plan effort is part of the Community Compact signed with Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito in 2016.

The Master Plan defines coordinated strategies and actions that focus on immediate improvements and
positioning of Medford Square for long term success. The major areas of focus include economic development and vitality, land use and sense of place, transportation and connectivity, and open space and quality of life.

Vision Statement

Medford Square builds on its legacy and centrality as a historic center and energizes the community as a vibrant concentration of activity. At the heart of the City, Medford Square is an attractive district that mixes restaurants, shops, businesses, and services, while also being a great place to live.

Medford Square is a safe and attractive place to walk and bike and provides a unique pedestrian-oriented downtown experience that embraces the Mystic River as an opportunity for mobility, recreation, and special events. It is a well-connected transit hub that offers car- free convenience.

Medford Square embraces its architectural and historic heritage and is a civic, art, and cultural center hosting events that couldn’t happen anywhere else in the City.

Community Goals

• Create a single identity for Medford Square by physically and visually uniting the eastern, western, and southern parts of the Square
• Encourage mixed use vibrancy with culture, retail, office, and housing in Medford Square

• Enhance connections between the Mystic River, vibrant streets of Medford Square, surrounding neighborhoods, and regional open space networks

• Develop the pedestrian character of Medford Square by balancing transportation modes

• Achieve a higher and better use of the land and create value for real estate in and around Medford Square

Check out much more about the project, including the lengthy final report, here.

Screenshot via Medford Square Master Plan Report