Patricia "Patty" Nolan
She/Her
- Currently
- City Councillor
- Also
- School Committee Member
- Election history
- 1st term in (council) office
She/Her
Patty Nolan grew up in Chicago and Connecticut. She first moved to Cambridge to attend Harvard, graduating in 1980. She then lived and worked in New York City, and attended Yale for business school. She has worked both in corporate consulting and the non-profit sector.
Patty returned to Cambridge in 1991, and has been actively involved in local politics since then, for instance serving on the Board of Cambridge School Volunteers. She was first elected to the school committee in 2005. In 2017, she was re-elected to the school committee in the first round of voting.
She is a landlord; she rents out the second unit in her two-family home.
I want the city council to set the tone, and consciously and collectively stop ever vilifying those who hold opposing views. Stop with the YIMBY, stop with the NIMBY, stop with saying people are in the pocket of developers. Stop dismissing those of us with questions on developments like 2072 as not supportive of affordable housing. That doesn't help us. We need to set a tone of respect.
Housing policy questions
Housing policy questions
Questions about recent zoning petitions, city manager contract, and "housing challenges"
Questions about recent zoning petitions, city manager contract, and "housing challenges"
They asked candidates to sign a pledge, which starts: "I support rapid implementation of the citywide network of protected bicycle lanes..."
They asked candidates to sign a pledge, which starts: "I support rapid implementation of the citywide network of protected bicycle lanes..."
Reduction in traffic injuries and deaths
Reduction in traffic injuries and deaths
Distribution of funds, non-profits and their position in Cambridge
Distribution of funds, non-profits and their position in Cambridge
[To] characterize any slate as anti-housing is unethical and wrong. I am in a stable housing situation. I am lucky. The increase in [housing] value has nothing to do with zoning policies.
(Do you believe we have a climate obligation to pursue greater density and allow more people to live here?)
Generally Not. As with so much that requires critical thinking - the answer is: not necessarily.
"I got elected, I had big plans," Nolan said. "Covid completely threw this out the window. We were all Covid, all the time."
Nolan described the city’s Covid-19 response as "incredible in so many ways," though she acknowledged she was once critical of the city’s outdoor mask mandate in the early stages of the pandemic.
Oct. 28, 2021 — Katherine M. Burstein, Kaleigh M. Kuddar"I got elected, I had big plans," Nolan said. "Covid completely threw this out the window. We were all Covid, all the time."
Nolan described the city’s Covid-19 response as "incredible in so many ways," though she acknowledged she was once critical of the city’s outdoor mask mandate in the early stages of the pandemic.
"The reason we have an affordable housing crisis — and it sounds kind of simplistic but people, I don’t think, talk about this as much — is that we have an income crisis," she said. "If you could afford houses in Cambridge, the affordable housing crisis wouldn’t be here."
Oct. 21, 2021 — Sarah Girma, Jennifer L. Powley"The reason we have an affordable housing crisis — and it sounds kind of simplistic but people, I don’t think, talk about this as much — is that we have an income crisis," she said. "If you could afford houses in Cambridge, the affordable housing crisis wouldn’t be here."
My background in the private sector, nonprofit and public service have served me - and you - well. I bring passion for and insistence on accountability, data and solid research. I worry more about being effective than taking credit and govern by solid persistent work, not inflammatory Tweets.
Oct. 21, 2021 — Community ContentMy background in the private sector, nonprofit and public service have served me - and you - well. I bring passion for and insistence on accountability, data and solid research. I worry more about being effective than taking credit and govern by solid persistent work, not inflammatory Tweets.
Other candidates such as Councilor Patricia M. Nolan ’80 also called for funding from local universities like Harvard — of which the endowment recently hit $53.2 billion — to support the arts and culture sector in Cambridge.
Oct. 20, 2021 — Sarah Girma and Jennifer L. PowleyOther candidates such as Councilor Patricia M. Nolan ’80 also called for funding from local universities like Harvard — of which the endowment recently hit $53.2 billion — to support the arts and culture sector in Cambridge.
Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80 said the council should pressure businesses to provide employment opportunities for city residents, as opposed to outsourcing talent from other towns.
Oct. 10, 2021 — Isabella B. ChoPatricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80 said the council should pressure businesses to provide employment opportunities for city residents, as opposed to outsourcing talent from other towns.
I’m not a housing expert but can think of several promising options....
And please, let’s all model respectful behavior. Don’t denigrate anyone on any side of this debate.... Yes, in many places zoning was put in place to exclude and is racist and elitist. That does not mean all zoning regulations and limits are racist and elitist.
Aug. 6, 2019 — Patty NolanI’m not a housing expert but can think of several promising options....
And please, let’s all model respectful behavior. Don’t denigrate anyone on any side of this debate.... Yes, in many places zoning was put in place to exclude and is racist and elitist. That does not mean all zoning regulations and limits are racist and elitist.