ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT:

The Community Development Department (CDD) is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. CDD has three divisions - Community Planning & Design, Economic Opportunity and Development, and Zoning & Development - and also encompasses the Housing Department and the Cambridge Arts Council[KD1] [SC2] . We work closely with colleagues in other City Departments such as Sustainability, Public Works, and Transportation. Together, we engage and collaborate with community partners, other government agencies, businesses, and residents to make Cambridge a desirable place to live, work, learn, play, and innovate.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Community Planning & Design Division guides growth and development to improve quality of life in the city. We provide planning and design services for citywide and neighborhood planning, development review, and parks and public space planning, design, and programming.

This position is an opportunity for individuals interested in planning or community development to gain first-hand experience in a very active planning office, working directly with planning staff. In this role, you will work alongside planners, architects, urban designers, landscape architects, and community engagement specialists.

Community Planning Intern Responsibilities

A primary role of the Community Planning Intern will be to work with members of the Community Planning & Design Division to advance and run the Community Planning Academy.[KD3] [SC4]  Started in 2025 the Academy is an educational engagement program designed for Cambridge residents who are interested in learning about local land-use planning, zoning, community engagement, community development, and how planning decisions are made.

The Intern will also provide support for the division. Specific activities may include:

• Helping to craft and assess community engagement tools, and help plan and staff community engagement activities and events
• Helping organize stakeholder and community meetings and provide communications and administrative support
• Researching best practices and case studies for planning projects and policies
• Analyzing and summarizing quantitative and qualitative survey data
• Helping to design and distribute outreach materials, both online and physical
• Assist in the planning process for district, area and comprehensive planning projects.[KD5]
• Additional projects may be identified based on the applicant’s skills and interests, and the Division’s needs

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education & Experience:

• Current student pursuing a degree in urban planning or related fields, or a recent graduate.
• Experience in urban planning is desired, but we encourage applicants with relevant experiences in education, community organizing, and other related fields to apply.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in written form, with external partners including planning and design consultants, and the general-public
• Overall computer proficiency including general office applications (Microsoft 365)
• High level of motivation, and detail-oriented skills
• The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

Desired knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Familiarity with Cambridge, and current policies and planning processes
• Knowledge and interest in principles related to sustainable design and development, community engagement, racial justice, and social equity
• Proficiency with languages spoken in Cambridge (Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Kreyol, Amharic) is a plus
• Experience with social service delivery or community engagement
• Strong writing and research skills
• Experience communicating research findings in ways that are accessible to a range of non- technical audiences
• Experience with ArcGIS or QGIS, Zoom, Adobe Creative Suite, and SurveyMonkey preferred

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work involved is primarily indoors in a professional office setting. Standard office environment with fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and moderate noise level. This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City’s Telework Policy.[SC6]

Start Date: June 2026 (exact date negotiable).

End Date: June 2027 (can be extended with mutual agreement)

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Please upload the following documents to complete your application:

• Resume
• Cover Letter