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Davis Square TAC Meeting #1 Recap
Share Davis Square TAC Meeting #1 Recap on Facebook Share Davis Square TAC Meeting #1 Recap on X (formerly Twitter) Share Davis Square TAC Meeting #1 Recap on Linkedin Email Davis Square TAC Meeting #1 Recap linkThe Davis Square TAC had its first meeting on Tuesday, August 11th. The notes and summary from Meeting #1 are available in the documents section of the SomerVoice page.
The Technical Advisory Committee’s first meeting was focused on community engagement, the project scope, and a baseline inventory analysis. The City of Somerville project team introduced the project and discussed how this planning effort will build on ideas from past plan iterations while creating an updated vision for the neighborhood.
The TAC provided feedback on the Community Engagement plan and provided insight into the community’s perspective on the neighborhood planContinue reading
The Davis Square TAC had its first meeting on Tuesday, August 11th. The notes and summary from Meeting #1 are available in the documents section of the SomerVoice page.
The Technical Advisory Committee’s first meeting was focused on community engagement, the project scope, and a baseline inventory analysis. The City of Somerville project team introduced the project and discussed how this planning effort will build on ideas from past plan iterations while creating an updated vision for the neighborhood.
The TAC provided feedback on the Community Engagement plan and provided insight into the community’s perspective on the neighborhood plan overall. City staff and the TAC discussed the baseline inventory analysis and suggested other data points that could be explored. To close the meeting, the TAC provided parting thoughts and ideas on how to improve past plans and make this a successful planning process.
Thank you to our committee members for bringing their local expertise to the table, and to the community for following along as we work together on the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan! Our next TAC meeting is planned for February 2027.
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TAC Update #1
Share TAC Update #1 on Facebook Share TAC Update #1 on X (formerly Twitter) Share TAC Update #1 on Linkedin Email TAC Update #1 linkAfter a thorough evaluation process, we are excited to announce the first Davis Square TAC meeting!
The first meeting will be held the evening of Tuesday, August 11th. For the first meeting, TAC members will undergo onboarding, review a past data synthesis, and establish alignment on core values with the goal of preliminary visioning.
TAC meetings are closed working sessions and are not public meetings. To keep the public in the loop, notes and summaries from TAC meetings will be posted on SomerVoice in the days following a meeting.
The TAC will actContinue reading
After a thorough evaluation process, we are excited to announce the first Davis Square TAC meeting!
The first meeting will be held the evening of Tuesday, August 11th. For the first meeting, TAC members will undergo onboarding, review a past data synthesis, and establish alignment on core values with the goal of preliminary visioning.
TAC meetings are closed working sessions and are not public meetings. To keep the public in the loop, notes and summaries from TAC meetings will be posted on SomerVoice in the days following a meeting.
The TAC will act as a sounding board for the Planning Division as we develop the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan. There are no formal votes or decisions made by or within TAC meetings. Rather, it is a place for the Planning Division to learn from local knowledge and combine it with planning expertise.
We are excited to announce our committee members: Ruby Aidun, Cassandra Arnaud, Angie Byrne, Paul Christie, Jonah Coe-Scharff, Josh McLinden, Jason Rhode, Rachel Rosenberg, Chenoa Schatzki-McClain, Catherine M Venturini, and Stephanie Wasiuk.
Other Ways to Get Involved
The TAC is just one of the many ways to get involved in shaping the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan. We have several other community outreach and engagement events on the horizon, including public workshops, open houses, surveys and more. We expect to announce dates for our first event in the coming weeks.
Join the Davis Square Mailing List: We recommend you join the Davis Square mailing list. Here is where we will send all major updates and share project events. http://eepurl.com/SXnFT
Join the Planning Division Newsletter: To stay in touch with all things Planning Division, (including Davis Square Neighborhood Plan), you may join the Planning Division newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/somervillema.gov/bxithf5lws
How We Selected TAC Members
Our goal was to build a well-rounded team that balances personal, lived experiences with professional expertise.
What We Looked For
We evaluated applications based on a geographic connection to Davis Square, a commitment to neighborhood equity, and how an applicant's background fit into four core categories:
Neighborhood & People Advocacy: Experience in housing affordability, tenant organizing, or senior and immigrant services.
Local Business & Economy: Small business operators, commercial tenants, or property managers.
Public Realm, Mobility & Infrastructure: Daily transit users, pedestrians, and safety advocates.
Arts & Culture: Local artists and cultural non-profits.Note: Applicants did not need to meet every single qualification to be chosen. For instance, living directly inside the square wasn't a requirement if a strong connection to the area was clear, and personal/lived experience was weighted just as heavily as professional experience.
The Evaluation Process
Applications were reviewed in three distinct stages:
Baseline Review: We checked for baseline completion and that applicants were available to attend all mandatory meetings.
Qualitative Ranking: We reviewed the application with an emphasis on short-answer responses. Applicants were evaluated on their local insights, their alignment with community collaboration and equity values, and their vision for the future of Davis Square in line with SomerVision 2040.
Final Selection: The project team reviewed the top-ranked applications and made final selections.
Invited Stakeholders
To ensure key local perspectives were represented, we sent asked some established neighborhood organizations to apply. Invitations to apply did not grant automatic selection. While applicants who represented a target organization were pre-vetted as having a direct local connection to the study area, every applicant was evaluated using the same criteria for their core values, collaboration style, and community perspective.
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Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Applications
Share Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Applications on Facebook Share Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Applications on X (formerly Twitter) Share Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Applications on Linkedin Email Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Applications linkThe Davis Square Neighborhood Plan process has officially launched, and the City of Somerville’s Planning Division is convening a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to help guide the effort. A TAC is a group of community members and subject-matter experts assembled to provide specialized guidance, feedback, and recommendations throughout the planning process. As a key partner in the development of the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan, the TAC will help review and strengthen data collection and analysis, inform project priorities, and assist in shaping community engagement efforts.
Members of the TAC can expect to attend three meetings throughout the project that alignContinue reading
The Davis Square Neighborhood Plan process has officially launched, and the City of Somerville’s Planning Division is convening a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to help guide the effort. A TAC is a group of community members and subject-matter experts assembled to provide specialized guidance, feedback, and recommendations throughout the planning process. As a key partner in the development of the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan, the TAC will help review and strengthen data collection and analysis, inform project priorities, and assist in shaping community engagement efforts.
Members of the TAC can expect to attend three meetings throughout the project that align with key milestones. Information about anticipated meeting timeframes, the length of each meeting, and meeting format (i.e., virtual, in-person, or hybrid) are detailed in the application.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their geographic connection to Davis Square, their commitment to neighborhood equity, and how their professional or lived experience fills one of the following core qualification categories: neighborhood and people advocacy, local business and economy, public realm, mobility and infrastructure, arts and culture.
Although these categories and metrics outline our primary criteria, an applicant does not need to meet every qualification to be chosen; our goal is to select well-rounded individuals who bring unique perspectives to the table. Both personal and professional experience will be weighted equally in selection. There will be several additional opportunities aside from the TAC to get involved in the planning process, including pop-up events, surveys, and community workshops.
To be considered, please apply here by the submission deadline. (The deadline has now passed)
Submissions can be completed online, or physical paper applications can be downloaded from the documents section of SomerVoice, printed, and mailed to Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143, or dropped off in person to the Planning Division, located at the Tufts Administration Building (TAB), 167 Holland St, Somerville, MA.
Submission Deadline: July 12th, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Final decisions will be made in late July.
Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov
If you need assistance translating or understanding this information, please call 311 (617-666-3311) or contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov. The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter for free.