Nearly a year after the Cambridge City Council greenlit pedestrianizing lower Bow Street, the block closed to traffic and has since been a place of outdoor respite for students and locals alike.

September 17, 2026

Affectionately dubbed “LoBo,” lower Bow Street is a one-block section extending from Plympton to DeWolfe Street. This summer, it received a makeover — fairy lights, turf, a ping pong table, cornhole, miniature plastic streetlights, and a portable toilet, surrounded by new potted shrubs.

Nearly a year after the Cambridge City Council greenlit pedestrianizing the block, the city launched the current pilot on June 18. The block is now closed to motor vehicle traffic, letting students and locals sip an Aperol spritz and eat outdoors.

When a Street Stops Being a Street

Nearly a year after the Cambridge City Council greenlit pedestrianizing lower Bow Street, the block closed to traffic and has since been a place of outdoor respite for students and locals alike.

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