It's Our Time To Lead
About Dana
I am a data scientist trained in economics and public policy. I am also a longtime Cambridge renter with deep ties to this community.
A Boston area native, I graduated from Wellesley College, where I majored in computer science. There I researched the influence of misinformation in political discourse using unique coding methods. I then studied data, economics, and development policy at a program offered by MIT and worked as a multinationally award-winning data scientist to democratize some of the tools of big companies for use by small businesses. I then focused on ensuring that data works in the service of ordinary citizens at visionary organizations that include ClearGov and Civera. I am currently pursuing a PhD in public policy design at Northeastern University, where I explore how to leverage evidence-driven policy tools to address root causes of complex challenges. There I am also a proud member of the Northeastern University Graduate Student Union.
I am running for City Council because I love my longtime home of Cambridge and I believe I can make it better. My mission is to help all in this city have the opportunity to thrive.
I have lived in Cambridge for over a decade as a renter who is fully reliant on our city’s public transportation infrastructure and biking, as I do not own a car. I am deeply committed to the Cambridge community: I serve as chair of the board for the YWCA Cambridge, an incredible local organization providing safe and affordable housing to our city’s most vulnerable women and families. I also serve on our city’s Commercial Parking Control Committee, which helps shape our community’s transportation network. I am running because I have a deep connection to this city and I hope to make it better. I also believe that, in this chaotic time, our city has a responsibility to model what it means to capably invest in our community and in the fundamental processes and services that matter. As a hub of ideas, civic culture, and serious resources, our city must lead in the vital work of envisioning and building better government.
Note on Conflicts of Interest
I have not accepted money nor any other form of contribution from the real estate development community. Nor do I have related investments or associations. I similarly have not accepted contributions from fossil fuel companies or any other parties known to have substantial conflicts of interest with the city. My heart and financial interests are with the residents of Cambridge.
My Policy Priorities
I am proud to have received the highest endorsements from both A Better Cambridge and Cambridge Bicycle Safety.
💬 Check out my Reddit AMA for an informative Q&A on my priorities.
Living in Cambridge
Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability
The inability for most people to affordably live in our city has been the single most urgent issue facing Cambridge for years, according to resident surveys. Housing costs constitute a severe financial burden for renters and prospective homeowners alike, with rents often exceeding $3k/month and the median cost of a single-family home approaching a staggering $2 million.
This crisis is driven by a combination of strong demand, artificially limited supply, limited government support, and a tax system that can actually disincentivize productive land use. If we do not wish to push out the vast majority of low- and middle-income residents, we must pursue clear-headed, evidence-driven solutions that address the above challenges.
In particular, we must address unnecessary restrictions, costs, and delays that undermine providing much-needed housing. For example, all buildings more than 50 years old (a large and growing majority of all buildings in Cambridge) need explicit approval by a commission for any redevelopment whatsoever. This is ridiculous. Also, our city should work to ease building height restrictions in locations that are walking distance to transit, which encourages sustainable transportation and allows homes where they are needed most. I also support negotiation with local universities to ensure they provide adequate housing for undergraduate and graduate students, which will alleviate pressure on the housing market. There are also valuable changes for which we should advocate at the state level, such as legalizing mid-rise single-stair housing in Massachusetts to further reduce outdated restrictions on providing greatly needed homes.
In short,
- I support abundant, transit-oriented development that encourages walkability, use of public transit, and minimal commutes, thus mitigating pollution, traffic congestion, noise, and accidents.
- I support the recent rezoning legalizing multifamily housing throughout Cambridge and finally ending single-family-only exclusionary zoning.
- I support allowing up to 12 stories in major corridors, as is already allowed under the AHO 2.0 for 100% affordable housing, as well as eased restrictions on major squares.
- I support legalizing mid-rise single-stair housing in Massachusetts to further reduce outdated restrictions on providing greatly needed homes.
- I support adjusting our thresholds for mandatory Historical Commission review to decrease prohibitive cost and delay to the majority of development.
- I support prioritizing addressing the single most acute struggle of our most vulnerable populations over aesthetic snobbery.
- I support instituting a land value tax structure to reduce wasteful “money parking,” increase stability and affordability for renters and individual resident homeowners, and promote walkable, environmentally sustainable neighborhoods (see more below).
- Read more about my thoughts on housing policy in A Better Cambridge’s candidate questionnaire.
Land Value Tax
Land Value Tax
Our system should incentivize use of land and housing that brings value to the community. However, our current system can incentivize waste by attracting investors who “park their money” by buying up property for the purpose of passively accumulating land value before later selling at a profit, without necessarily putting it to good use (similar to how one might buy and sell rare art while keeping it in a basement for safekeeping). This is especially the case when landlords are effectively penalized, through additional taxes, for developing or upgrading buildings to be fit for tenants. Such behavior can be detrimental to a community and result in phenomena like vacant storefronts in city centers or underused lots in prime locations, which sap the vitality from our city, increase sprawl, and result in indefensible waste of our severely limited real estate.
A land value tax (LVT) is a powerful tool that can largely solve this problem. Or, more specifically, a split-rate system that allows buildings and amenities to be taxed less and land to be taxed more (right now they are taxed at the same rate).
Why is this a good idea?
Land value tax is nearly universally loved by economists, regardless of ideological leaning, because it incentivizes productive and socially responsible use of land, decreases speculation, reduces inequality, and increases stability and affordability among both tenants and individual homeowners. This is because LVT lessens the penalty for making productive use of property (e.g., by adding needed homes and shops and amenities) and increases the penalty for simply taking up space. It is also one of the most progressive taxes possible, with most of the burden falling on the very wealthiest land holders.
This isn’t just true in theory, however. A split-rate tax structure has been successfully implemented in several cities across the US, including Harrisburg and Allentown, PA, where its impacts included
- Lower taxes for the vast majority of individual homeowners and landlords making productive use of their properties
- Greater penalties for vacant storefronts and unused lots, resulting in decreases in both (in Harrisburg, PA storefront vacancies declined from over 4200 to under 500 after this tax restructure)
- Reduced land speculation, as passively sitting on property no longer penciled out
- Decreased sprawl and increased infill development
- Increased homeownership due to more manageable individual home taxes
- Increased tenant stability as a result of less aggressive and volatile rent hikes and less property flipping
- Increased walkable, environmentally sustainable neighborhoods
A land value tax is a policy that addresses a root cause of key problems in our housing system by aligning financial incentives with the outcomes our community needs. Such a strategy requires petitioning the state; however, the potential results are well worth this effort.
Land value tax has never been meaningfully explored in Cambridge and I am proud to be the candidate finally bringing this into the conversation. Let’s be a leader in exploring this powerful tool for our community.
Safe Streets & Better Transit
Safe Streets and Better Transit
Our city should ensure safe streets that promote ZERO bike and pedestrian deaths. After the tragic killings of Minh-Thi Nguyen, Kim Staley, and John Corcoran in 2024, it is inexcusable not to invest in the the vital safe infrastructure needed to support the safety of our thousands of daily bikers whose numbers grow by roughly 8% per year, not to mention that of pedestrians and drivers. As someone who relies on biking and walking as my own primary means of commuting, shopping, and general transportation, I count myself among those who depend on this infrastructure every day. We must complete the mandates of the Cycling Safety Ordinance and stay true to our Vision Zero goals.
Greater investment in busing, subway access, and walkability in addition to safe bikeways is also critical. Additional city-provided busing in areas not well served and reducing barriers to using transit generally (for example, providing discounts and vouchers) can also contribute here.
Snow removal is also a matter of transportation safety and accessibility and it is everyone’s responsibility to share the load. I support a municipal sidewalk shoveling program making snow removal a city service alongside regular sidewalk cleaning. Within current budgetary constraints, I would support this program.
Addressing Public Drug Use and Needle Safety
Needle safety is also a matter of street safety. Cambridge must take a proactive, compassionate approach to addressing the public health and safety risks of discarded needles and public drug use. No parent should have to worry about their child encountering used syringes in a park or playground. The City should expand rapid-response needle pickup, improve coordination between public health and public works teams, and invest in proven harm-reduction strategies like safe disposal sites and outreach programs that connect people to treatment and housing. Protecting public spaces and public health must go hand in hand.
Fix Parking
Let’s Fix Parking: Donald Shoup-Inspired Smart Metering
Parking is a pain in Cambridge. This fact doesn’t harm just drivers, but also hurts local businesses, increases traffic due to circling vehicles, contributes to pollution and noise, and can even incentivize dangerous, traffic-clogging illegal double-parking.
I would like to explore implementing smart, dynamically priced parking metering inspired by a world-renowned researcher named Donald Shoup, in which
- All metered parking is 100% free citywide for the first 15 minutes
- Meter prices are then set to the point where ~85% of spaces are full and ~15% are empty on each individual block, at all times of day
- This means that more central locations at busier times of day will have higher prices, while less central spaces at calmer times will be lower priced
- Residents will continue to have access to resident and visitor permits enabling them to park cheaply near their homes
This structure has been rigorously tested and found to result in
- Readily available parking at all times and on every block throughout the city
- All of this parking is 100% free for quick pickups and deliveries, reducing the need to illegally (and often dangerously) double-park
- Longer-term parkers do not hoard valuable spaces from other waiting visitors, but rather stay for only as long as they need, thus increasing turnover in a way that greatly advantages local businesses
- Substantially reduced traffic, noise, and pollution from perpetually circling vehicles searching for parking, since there will always be parking
- Appropriately incentivized sustainable transit at busy times and in city centers
- Ready curb access for emergency vehicles at all times on every block
- Increased meter revenue for the city, which can be reinvested into street improvements like upgrading sidewalks and planting trees that make neighborhoods more livable and commercial areas more inviting for everybody.
These changes would increase public safety, reduce pollution and traffic congestion, and enhance quality of life throughout our city. This structure would also particularly benefit small local businesses, which could provide much more reliable and accessible access to nearby parking for customers and enable more convenient pickups and deliveries (which comprise the vital backbone of so many many restaurants, florists, and other enterprises, especially in the wake of COVID). Better regulation of parking means better local economy, better environment, and a safer, healthier city.
Government Integrity
Stand Up to ICE and With Our Immigrant Neighbors
Standing Up to ICE and With Our Immigrant Neighbors and Other Vulnerable Communities
No human should live in fear of abduction, violation of civil liberties, separation from their children, or unjust and unethical deportation to far-flung countries. Standing firm in our commitment to protecting immigrant communities through our Welcoming Communities Ordinance is not only a legal stance, it is an expression of basic human decency, dignity, and moral responsibility. It is also essential to safeguarding against a slide into authoritarianism.
Also, in the face of an increasingly unstable federal landscape, Cambridge must do everything in its power to uphold its core values of accountability, inclusion, and support for our most vulnerable. We should resist, to the best of our ability, any federal funding cuts or policy shifts that run counter to those values. We must put forward our best effort to maintain essential services and community priorities while addressing economic uncertainty. This also includes supporting those affected by the loss of services at vital initiatives like the Transition Wellness Center and working to ensure residents are successfully connected to alternative housing options. To safeguard critical programs and projects, the city should establish a stabilization fund that helps buffer the impact of unpredictable federal support.
Cambridge should also lead by example among municipalities by supporting free expression when it comes to voicing our principles and then putting our resources toward what we value most. We must also encourage and tolerate alternative perspectives and be willing to discuss nuanced, difficult topics. On May 6, 2024, the City Council adopted a value statement and policy goals that reflect a commitment to prioritize housing affordability and zoning reform, economic equity, transportation safety, climate resilience, and effective governance. We must remain unflinching in putting these values into action.
At the same time, we must strengthen collaborative relationships with local institutions, especially our universities, to ensure mutual support and shared progress.
Flipped Lobbying
Equity in Political Influence
Every process in our city depends on equitably balancing the needs of all residents. Residents include not just those who show up to public meetings or who start petitions. They include busy parents, service workers, students, the unhoused, seniors, and others who simply don’t have the schedule, bandwidth, interest, or ability to initiate such participation.
To be clear: Public comment and other such channels are absolutely valuable. I fully believe residents should be able to use these to express their views. But those who frequent city meetings are simply not representative of our entire population. A process fully reliant on such channels is the antithesis of equity. It means the needs of our most time-strapped, politically inexperienced, and generally overburdened continually fall through the cracks of the system. Of course, included among these are our most desperately vulnerable.
This issue strikes at the core of what it means to have any semblance of a just community. It underpins every policy decision and government operation. There is nothing more pressing.
I intend to initiate and model a “flipped lobbying” approach to citizen input through initiating proactive outreach to residents that may be impacted by policy changes to gain timely and more representative views into their true needs. Such a strategy puts the onus on our government, and not on our busy populace, to initiate critical communication related to just those issues likely to deeply impact their lives. Politics should not be dominated by just the connected and savvy and well-resourced. If we really do want equity in our city, there is no more urgent investment.
Election Reform, Money in Politics
Money In Politics
We need to lessen the impact of money in politics. This is a root cause of untold corruption and dysfunction. Political participation based on giving money to elected officials handicaps those of lesser means in pushing their priorities. Influence is instead concentrated among the wealthiest. This system also creates politicians whose time is spent calling up rich donors for hours on end and listening to their every thought and concern instead of constructing effective policy. Politicians, that is, who are inevitably more beholden to and who become more sympathetic with these backers.
Consequently, it is the opposite of shocking that policies benefiting the wealthy are realized at the expense of those benefiting anyone else. This increases the wealth gap, further disadvantaging the less wealthy in their ability to influence. The spiral ultimately results in crippling the ability for struggling people to have comparable political voice and deep neglect of their needs.
Let’s lead the country in building a system that serves our people, not the highest bidder. Here in Cambridge, individual campaign contributions are capped at $1000 per person, per year. This is better than in many areas. However, we live in a reality where more than one in three Americans would have trouble paying an unexpected $400 expense, let alone a $1000 gift.
Also, there is no limit on what candidates themselves can contribute to their own campaigns. Nothing prevents a billionaire from plowing as much as they want, without limit, into an election that directly enriches their bottom line. Amazon already tried to do this in Seattle, injecting millions into a local city council election that would decide real estate decisions impacting their office headquarters.
Something similar can happen here. And why wouldn’t it? Cambridge contains research headquarters for a staggering number of multinational tech and pharma giants. We must plug this loophole.
No, money raised by a candidate does not, in itself, guarantee victory. There are other factors at work. Money is just one necessary, influential piece. But it’s not just about who wins elections; it’s about who is able to run in the first place. I have witnessed several prospective fellow candidates hesitate or opt out of running because they felt they didn’t have the personal funds or monied connections to be a viable contender.
This, in itself, is disgusting. There are few means for silencing an entire demographic more clearly disempowering than effectively barring some from holding office. Or, at the very least, imposing substantial, unnecessary, and wholly discriminatory added barriers. If we ever feel disappointed by an unimpressive selection of personalities from whom we must choose our governors, councillors, and presidents, we should look at our system for getting elected. Our process filters out nearly all but heavily-backed partisans. That is simply reality.
Cambridge should model a better way. There are limits to what local government can do, given unfortunate federal court decisions about money as political speech. However, even if we cannot fully implement 100% public financing, we must do everything possible to restrict the impact of campaign donations. Boulder, Colorado, for example, a city of comparable size to Cambridge, enforces a limit of $100 per donor per election cycle for each municipal candidate. We should consider such restrictions as well as other, alternative means to support campaigns such as democracy vouchers.
Also, as noted in my conflict of interest section above, my campaign will not accept money nor any other form of contribution from the real estate development community. Nor do I have related investments or associations. My campaign similarly will not accept contributions from those associated with fossil fuel companies or any other parties known to have substantial conflicts of interest with the city. My heart and financial interests are with the residents of Cambridge.
Also relevant to election reform, I support advocating for the provision of 24-hour voting, which involves instituting a 24-hour period during which residents with less typical working hours (e.g., service workers, artists, etc.) can vote in person in addition to existing regular and early voting options. The city should also advocate for automatic and/or same-day voter registration.
Innovation & Community
Local Innovation For Community Benefit
Leading Social Innovation and Rise Up
Cambridge is a powerhouse of research, industry, and world-changing material innovation. We are home to world-renowned institutions like MIT and Harvard, a nearby hotbed of small but visionary startups dubbed the “most innovative square mile on the planet,” a global biotech hub, and the innovation labs for nearly every global tech giant in existence. As a birthplace of the early internet and developments ranging from residential solar power to the Moderna vaccine, Cambridge originates ideas that radiate around the globe. I believe we should leverage the dynamism of our local innovation community in strategic partnerships for public benefit.
Such partnership can help revive support for the Rise Up Basic Income program, inspired by research consistently showing that direct income support is one of the most effective tools for reducing poverty and improving health, education, and overall well-being for families. Cambridge should be a leader in this form of social innovation to improve the lives of our people and inspire further developments beyond.
We have so much talent here in Cambridge. I believe there is untapped potential for leveraging this through exciting public initiatives that can provide a view of what is possible.
Arts and Community-Building
Investing in the Arts
The arts are core to the cultural richness of our community. I support the continuation of our public art initiatives, including the Cambridge NITES Grant Pilot and other creative programs that merge the arts with cultural events, community building, climate preparedness, and city beautification. Galleries in the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall during the winter, for example, located within a bright, lush, heated indoor garden, would be a burst of fresh air to get us through these dark months while nourishing the soul.
Youth Programming and Economic Mobility
Our youth are our future and our city should model how we may best serve our young adults. Additional programming for workforce and skills training and internships with local employers can tie our youth into their local community, hone marketable skills, and forge mentorship relationships. I also support otherwise encouraging our companies and businesses to hire more local talent.
- Hackathons, competitions and awards in a variety of domains, sponsored by local businesses, are another way to encourage participatory learning, job marketability, self-esteem, and active engagement in the community. The city can organize themed challenges that encourage our youth to submit projects in art, journalism, technology, science, cuisine, or other categories to be judged by local professionals in the field. Winners of these challenges can be publicly honored and all participants can be showcased, gaining them visibility for potential employers, mentors, and other professional connections and inspiring others to become involved in such events.
- Starting a new tradition of short creative performances by local public school students to begin each city council meeting is another way, not just to inspire and enliven our public meetings with local talent, but to engage more youth and families in community discussion.
- Other programs to get students involved in public creative and service projects like community art, urban agriculture, and neighbor assistance can also help further community engagement.
Disability Policy
I want to strengthen Cambridge’s support for residents with disabilities by improving special education services and family advocacy systems, and by collecting meaningful city-level data to better guide policy. We must expand accessible, community-based housing options for adults with disabilities and ensure our public infrastructure—streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, and parks—works for people of all abilities. I’ll also prioritize funding and elevating programs like the Cambridge Program for Individuals with Special Needs so every resident can thrive. I also support expanded investment in the Cambridge Community Learning Center, which provides free programs to adult learners of all abilities.
Climate Resilience
Climate Resilience
Climate change is an urgent reality that demands action at every level of government, including locally. Our city has both the opportunity and responsibility to lead by example in mitigating climate disruption. At the municipal level, we can implement meaningful policies that reduce emissions, protect our natural resources, and promote environmental justice. Cambridge can model what it means to do our part and inspire broader change beyond our borders.
I support maintaining and growing our tree canopy according to the Urban Forest Master Plan to restore our much needed tree cover. Green Space is critical for livability, health, sustainability, and mental and social well being. I support prioritizing areas for recreation and play. I also support the equitable provision of dog parks for our nonhuman residents.
I support continuing to move our city toward net zero carbon emissions, particularly by targeting large commercial developments through reasonable building performance standards and financial penalties for non-compliance.
We must invest in safe, robust, and sustainable water, gas, and utility infrastructure. I support Save the Alewife Brook in addressing persistent, extensive untreated sewage discharges containing harmful bacteria like E. coli, parasites, and viruses into the Alewife Brook. These pollutants are a major environmental and public health concern and potential solutions include installing a pumping station and integrating climate change impacts into future sewer infrastructure planning.
As a vibrant hub of innovation, Cambridge also has the opportunity to partner with local research and innovation institutions to explore creative new ideas and sustainable technologies in urban agriculture, energy use, and infrastructure monitoring. I am a proponent of pilot testing iterative, microscale versions of new programs to get feedback before potentially growing them into mature initiatives.
I support legalizing goat grazing in Cambridge as a sustainable, low-impact alternative to traditional landscaping. Goats provide natural weed and brush control without the need for fossil fuels or harmful herbicides, helping to restore biodiversity and improve soil health. They’re especially effective on steep or overgrown terrain that machinery can’t easily reach, and their presence can also engage and educate the community. This is a practical, climate-friendly solution that aligns with Cambridge’s environmental and innovation goals. I am pro-goat.
If you have an idea you believe would make a positive change in our city, please reach out. I can potentially uplift it with my platform and maybe even help turn it into reality. Also, if you think I am mistaken on an issue, I am always open to thoughtful dialogue. If you make a strong case I am committed to evolving my perspectives.
-Dana
(774) 270-1385 / dana@danaforcambridge.com / meet over video call or in person
We live in times of nearly unmatched cynicism, fear, and hopelessness with respect to our government’s ability to serve its people on a national level. Our recent No Kings protests were a courageous condemnation of an administration that eschews facts, erodes democratic processes, and undermines humanity. Such protest is critical and I could not be more proud of my fellow participants. But we need much more than that. In particular, we need to paint a vision of a better way.
I believe our city of Cambridge has a role to play. Though we may take it for granted, Cambridge is, in fact, an epicenter of world-changing ideas. We have one of the most liberal and civically engaged cultures in the entire nation and a billion-dollar budget that can make real change—if we choose. I believe our city has a responsibility to use our substantial resources, engage our people, and leverage our political will to achieve truly exciting goals that serve our residents and demonstrate a vision of something different and better. Things don’t have to be business and politics as usual.
This is our time to lead.
-Dana Bullister
Election Countdown
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Cambridge Municipal Elections will be held in person. Polls are open 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. All vote-by-mail ballots (except overseas absentee ballots) must arrive at the Election Commission office by 8 p.m. to be counted.
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