As a key component in the placemaking process, the Atlas team solicited public feedback from community members through online surveys, virtual visioning sessions, and stakeholder interviews.

The goal of these input sessions was to identify unique local assets and how they could be capitalized, provide insight on local challenges, and give feedback on the types of projects and amenities desired in town.

Some of the key findings included Cambridge’s rich history around water, the centrality of French Creek running right through town, and the welcoming small town culture and feel of the place itself. The top challenges identified were an overall sense of discouragement, visually represented in an outdated, dispirited downtown, and the community’s inability to attract or retain a younger population.