Which US City Has The "Most Innovative Square Mile On The Planet"?

The United States has some of the most advanced, modern, and fastest growing cities in the world. Some of these cities are designed for mixed-use and are booming with business, innovations, technology, entertainment, and medical facilities. For instance, New York has for years been known for its ease of work-life balance and startup initiatives under the big companies such as Bloomberg. However, other cities like Boston are quickly catching up with New York. In fact, a neighborhood in Cambridge City has been designated as the “most innovative square mile on the planet earth” because of the quality of innovation and the concentration of business startups.

Cambridge City

Kendell Square in Cambridge City has been referred to as the “best innovative square mile on the planet earth.” Cambridge is located in the Middlesex County in the state of Massachusetts. It is located north of the Boston City, the capital of Massachusetts, and obtained its name from the University of Cambridge in England. It is home to two of the most prestigious universities in the world; Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The city was also home to a leading women college in the US (Radcliffe College) which later merged with Harvard University. As of 2016, Cambridge has a population of approximately 110,000 people and is one of the most populous cities in Massachusetts.

Economy of Cambridge

Although manufacturing was one of the most important sectors of the economy of Cambridge, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, the education sector is currently the top employer in the city. The two leading universities, MIT and Harvard, employ about 20,000 people. Cambridge is a cradle of technology and home to some of the technology firms such as Akamai, BBN Technologies, and Analog Device. The city also hosts some of the top biotechnology and health care firms such as Sanofi, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and Genzyme. Most of the biotech firms in Cambridge are located in East Cambridge and Kendell Square, which for decades have been the city’s manufacturing centers. Cambridge’s proximity to the education facilities has attracted several non-profit organizations and think tanks such as Cultural Survival, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and One Laptop per Child among others

Kendell Square

Kendell Square is situated at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street. The small neighborhood in Cambridge has been referred to as “the most innovative square miles on the planet” because of the high number of business startups and the high number of innovations that have come up in the area since 2010. The area has approximately 50,000 who work there daily and a steadily increasing number of residents. Kendell Square is an internationally recognized innovation center that has several laboratories, offices, restaurants, and public places. Interestingly, the first phone call was placed between the office of Thomas Watson in Kendell Square in Cambridge and Alexander Graham’s office in Boston. The high-tech firms have been attracted to the square due to the presence of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus. MIT also has several commercial centers and commercial real estates at the square.