About

[Science Center Plaza Banner - Piano Player and Farmer's Market]

In 2008 Harvard University President Drew Faust assembled the Steering Committee on Common Spaces and charged the group with guiding a planning initiative that would lead to the transformation of certain physical spaces so that they support and enhance our sense of engagement and community. The Committee identified a number of physical, programmatic, and operational opportunities to transform the ways in which people experience the University, creating a more welcoming and connected campus.

Today's Common Spaces program reflects the Committee’s recommendations which included the development of visible and inviting focal points that improve the campus and create a sense of place. Partners from across the University contribute to the programming and implementation of events and activities that invite people to feel alive, at home, and part of the larger fabric of the University.