Why not close the short block of Pleasant Street that adjoins this park? The street does not appear to serve any purpose, and removing it would allow expanding the park to a reasonable size. Look what they've done a few blocks away in Lafayette Square.

(I tried twice to leave this comment on David's blog, but he immediately deleted it both times. I don't understand why.)

let's turn it into three parking places.

It's a very nice traffic island.

One curious thing about Cambridge (and metro Boston in general) is that we put our parks up against busy streets, and the parks tend to be small, so one does not get away from the roar of traffic.

My theory is that we've become so desensitized to traffic, that we don't realize how ridiculous some of our parks are.

I was reminded of this theory by the recent addition to Central Square, after that abandoned lot sat there for a decade. The little plaza (is it still called Lafayette Square?) would be nice along a clean pedestrian walkway. In reality, I personally don't expect to often want to sit on a concrete block nestled into the armpit of Mass Ave., Main St., and Columbia St. But, perhaps some of the street people will shift to there, freeing up park benches in the center of Central Square.

It's not the fault of the park architects -- they only have so much latitude with the constraints they're given. Unfortunately, the constraints doom us to park-like traffic islands.

Paul Revere Park, atop Winter Hill in Somerville, is our city's smallest park, and quite possibly the smallest park in New England.

Another view of Paul Revere Park.

And a Google Street View