This page has been archived to preserve the process whereby staff worked with the Steering Committee to draft and sign the Interim Development Goals letter.

Below is the final version of the letter for signature. This version incorporates the results of all quick polls and changes from discussion.

Final Polls -- Closed at 5pm on Thursday, March 4

Following discussion with the Steering Committee at the February meeting on 2/24, the below questions were posed as clarifying and follow up to the original set of questions. All Steering Committee members were asked to complete the below polls if they had not already by 5pm on Thursday, March 4.

CHANGE 2

Which of the below is your preference?

CURRENT LANGUAGE:

1. Live-work and live-study opportunities for all. Target workforce development programs and employment opportunities for existing residents to avoid displacement, and create affordable housing for lower income employees and students so they can walk to work and school and benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources.

Option 1:

"...and create mixed-income housing that provides walk-to-work/school opportunities that are affordable for employees and students at all income levels so they can benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources."

Option 2:

"...and create mixed-income and affordable housing that provides walk-to-work/school opportunities that are affordable for employees and students at all income levels so they can benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources."

Option 3:

"...and create affordable housing that provides walk-to-work/school opportunities that are affordable for employees and students at all income levels so they can benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources."

CHANGE 3

Option 1:

"3. Vibrant commercial corridors. Fifth and Forbes Avenues, the Boulevard of the Allies, Craig Street, and other smaller commercial corridors provide high quality and safe pedestrian experiences with inviting public realm improvements, open spaces, and complementary ground floor uses in buildings."

Option 2:

"3. Vibrant commercial corridors. Fifth and Forbes Avenues, the Boulevard of the Allies, Craig Street, and other smaller commercial corridors provide high quality and safe pedestrian experiences with inviting public realm improvements, open spaces, and complementary ground floor uses that provide retail goods and services, and restaurants and commercial spaces, to the broader community."

Option 3:

"3. Vibrant commercial corridors. Fifth and Forbes Avenues, the Boulevard of the Allies, Craig Street, and other smaller commercial corridors provide high quality and safe pedestrian experiences with inviting public realm improvements, open spaces, and complementary ground floor uses in buildings that serve the broader community."

CHANGE 4 -- Final Poll 1/3

Language from the original letter, as seen below:

2. Housing diversity. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing is available at a wide range of income levels. Provide a variety of affordable and healthy housing options for students.

5. Welcoming Oakland. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses and residents work proactively to welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee, and disabled peoples to live, work, study, invest in business, and play in the community.

6. Space for everyone. New and existing buildings should create opportunities for renters and tenants with the intent of overcoming inequities.

OPTION 1

This option was proposed at the January meeting by the CMU Faculty & Students and combines goals #5 and #6, as seen below:

NEW 5. Welcoming Oakland. New and existing buildings should create opportunities for residents, renters, and tenants with the intent of overcoming inequities. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, residents, and students work proactively to welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee, and disabled people to live, work, study, invest in business, and play in the community.

No change to goal #2 (Housing diversity).

OPTION 2

This option was proposed by OBID during the review of the letter over the past three weeks and combines goals #2 and #6, as seen below:

NEW 2. Space for Everyone. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing, among new and existing buildings, is available for residents at a range of income levels for both renters and commercial space to address housing inequities, as well as providing a variety of affordable and healthy options for students, including co-housing.

No change to goal #5 (Welcoming Oakland).

Note that the added benefit of Options 2 or 3 is that they allow a transit-related goal to be added to the list which was previously missing, seen below:

NEW 6. Development that enhances transit. Building development and redevelopment activities are coordinated with investments in the public realm to result in more transit use, and safer and more enjoyable transit experiences

CHANGE 4 -- Final Poll 2/3

Should over-occupancy be explicitly mentioned in the goal language? (Default to whichever option chosen in above quick poll)

NEW 5. Welcoming Oakland. New and existing buildings should create opportunities for renters and tenants with the intent of overcoming inequities AND REDUCING OVER-OCCUPANCY. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, residents, and students work proactively to welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee, and disabled people to live, work, study, invest in business, and play in the community.

NEW 2. Space for Everyone. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing, among new and existing buildings, is available at a range of income levels for both renters and commercial space to address housing inequities AND REDUCING OVER-OCCUPANCY. Provide a variety of affordable and healthy options for students, including co-housing.

CHANGE 4 -- Final Poll 3/3

OTMA has proposed the language in new goal 6 (Development that Enhances Transit) be changed as follows:

Existing Language

NEW 6. Development that enhances transit. Building development and redevelopment activities are coordinated with investments in the public realm to result in more transit use, and safer and more enjoyable transit experiences

Proposed Language

NEW 6. Development that enhances transit. Building development and redevelopment within the public realm that incorporates multimodal facilities for transit, biking, rideshare and pick-up/drop-off for on-demand service providers that can be demonstrative of the availability of mobility options for tenants, visitors.

This letter provides guidance to property owners and developers about the goals the collective Oakland community has deemed most important for you to consider addressing with your project. Our guidance is focused on the major corridors in Oakland: Fifth and Forbes Avenues, Boulevard of the Allies, and Craig Street. The community has significant concerns about the high cost of housing and the potential for new development to increase the displacement of long-term residents and particularly of Oakland’s people of color. For this reason, we recommended that property owners and developers pursuing projects outside this area also give our goals careful consideration.

We hope that you proactively seek to address goals in this document at the earliest stages possible in your development process. When you meet with our organizations, we intend to review this framework with you. We may also ask questions about these goals at community meetings or bring up elements of this letter in testimony before City boards and commissions. Therefore, addressing these goals will likely help your project gain community support.

This set of goals is guidance only, not requirements or policy. This guidance is not prescriptive because design is contextual and should respond to the buildings at the time of development, and in some cases, the existing context does not reflect the future vision of the community. We acknowledge that historic districts, such as the Oakland Civic Center Historic District, require special consideration (content change at request of Schenley Farms Civic Association).

1. Live-work and live-study opportunities for all. Target workforce development programs and employment opportunities for existing residents to avoid displacement, and create affordable housing for lower income employees and students so they can walk to work and school and benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources.

The University of Pittsburgh Administrators have suggested changing the content of the above bolded statement to:

"...and create mixed-income housing that provides walk-to-work/school opportunities that are affordable for employees and students at all income levels."

3. Vibrant commercial corridors. Fifth and Forbes Avenues, the Boulevard of the Allies, Craig Street, and other smaller commercial corridors provide high quality and safe pedestrian experiences with inviting public realm improvements, open spaces, and complementary ground floor uses in buildings.

OPDC commented that complementary is not good enough. They would like to see ground floor uses that contribute to the broader community in terms of retail goods and services, not just for the building itself (i.e. workout room for tenants). Staff have composed the following edit in accordance with OPDC's comment for Steering Committee review:

"... and complementary ground floor uses that provide retail goods and services to the broader community."

At the January Steering Committee meeting, the faculty and student representatives noted that the two goals below were both high priorities and also very similar in topic and intent and could potentially be combined into one goal.

OPTION 1

Language from the original letter, as seen below:

2. Housing diversity. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing is available at a wide range of income levels. Provide a variety of affordable and healthy housing options for students.

5. Welcoming Oakland. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses and residents work proactively to welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee, and disabled peoples to live, work, study, invest in business, and play in the community.

6. Space for everyone. New and existing buildings should create opportunities for renters and tenants with the intent of overcoming inequities.

OPTION 2

This option was proposed at the January meeting by the CMU Faculty & Students and combines goals #5 and #6, as seen below:

NEW 5. Welcoming Oakland. New and existing buildings should create opportunities for renters and tenants with the intent of overcoming inequities. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, residents, and students work proactively to welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee, and disabled people to live, work, study, invest in business, and play in the community.

No change to goal #2 (Housing diversity).

OPTION 3

This option was proposed by OBID during the review of the letter over the past three weeks and combines goals #2 and #6, as seen below:

NEW 2. Space for Everyone. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing, among new and existing buildings, is available at a range of income levels for both renters and commercial space to address housing inequities. Provide a variety of affordable and healthy options for students, including co-housing.

No change to goal #5 (Welcoming Oakland).

Note that the added benefit of Options 2 or 3 is that they allow a transit-related goal to be added to the list which was previously missing, seen below:

NEW 6. Development that enhances transit. Building development and redevelopment activities are coordinated with investments in the public realm to result in more transit use, and safer and more enjoyable transit experiences

NOTE: ONLY OAKLAND'S RESIDENTS, OPDC, AND ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OFFICIALS SHOULD RESPOND TO THE BELOW QUICK POLL.

This group includes:

1. Bellefield Area Citizens Association
2. Councilperson Kraus's Office
3. Councilperson Lavelle's Office
4. Councilperson Strassburger's Office
5. Oakcliffe Community Organization
6. Oakland Planning and Development Corporation
7. Schenley Farms Civic Association
8. South Oakland Neighborhood Group
9. State House Representative Frankel's Office
10. State House Representative Wheatley's Office
11. Office of State Senator Jay Costa
12. West Oakland Neighborhood Council

The goal generated by the Oakland residents, OPDC, and elected representatives officials group reads below:

7. Buildings that belong in Oakland. Building design should speak to how it belongs in and is specific to the context of Oakland and consistent with the outstanding architectural heritage of the area. Well-designed buildings are appropriately scaled, use high quality materials, and are designed either to be consistent with historic fabric or bring innovative new ideas. Oakland needs buildings it can be proud of, not cookie cutter structures from other cities.

Oakcliffe Community Organization asked to remove the phrase "or bring innovative new ideas."

What and why?

As part of the planning process the Steering Committee will work together with the rest of the Oakland community to establish new land use regulations and tools that will improve future development. Between now and when those new regulations go into effect, development projects will continue to take place and some members of the Steering Committee have expressed the desire that guidance be created to influence these projects.

Process

The January 2021 Steering Committee meeting is a workshop focused on agreeing to some goals for new development based on community input received so far. Staff will walk you through the tabs below throughout the workshop. Your input will be used to draft a letter that will be provided for each organization to review and provide additional comments on. The goal will be to have your comments back in time to have a final draft of the letter for each organization to approve and agree to sign at the February 2021 Steering Committee.

Intent

The letter is an innovative new tool that provides many opportunities for the Oakland community to positively influence development, but it also comes with some limits.

• Collective voice: This letter is intended to provide guidance to developers about the goals the collective Oakland community has deemed most important for them to consider addressing with their project. This provides a unique opportunity for Oakland to speak with a single voice about the matters it considers most important related to development.
• Interim product: It will be derived from community input during the planning process as an interim resource for developers, community organizations, and City Planning between now and when the plan and related Zoning Code provisions are adopted. Once the plan is adopted, it will be used instead of this letter as the source of collective goals from the Oakland community.
• Limits: This set of goals are guidance only, not requirements or policy. They will be presented to the Planning Commission for their consideration as an interim product of the neighborhood planning process, but will not be formally adopted by the Planning Commission.
• Number of goals: In looking at examples from other cities of similar types of guidance/goals letters, the best practice was to identify no more that 10 statements. The workshop will allow us to identify 6 from the whole group collectively, and 4 that are specific to the groups of Steering Committee stakeholder types.
• Not prescriptive: This guidance is not prescriptive -- the language used intentionally includes "consider", "prioritize" and "respond to" as opposed to "should", "must", and "required" because design is very contextual and should respond to the buildings at the time of development, and in some cases, the existing context does not reflect the future vision of the community.

Uses

Staff can see a number of relevant uses for this letter, including but not limited to:

• Information that can be proactively shared on websites and used by developers as they develop concepts for new buildings in the affected area;
• As a shared framework for one-on-one discussions between organizations and developers as they seek community input on early concepts;
• To help organize questions and discussions at community meetings, as well as subsequent testimony; and
• As guidance for the Department of City Planning and the Planning Commission to consider during the review of development projects in the affected area.

Geography

The Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor has been the location where the largest and often most contentious development projects have been proposed over the last decade. For this reason, the Department of City Planning (DCP) held an Urban Design Workshop focused on this area in June of 2019. This provided DCP with a great deal of input about this area. Included in this workshop was questions about the need for interim limits on development in this area. Since that time, the neighborhood planning process has captured a considerable amount of input about goals and desires from a large number of residents, students, employees, property owners, and businesses. With this letter, we can identify goals for development that happens anywhere in Oakland, or we can focus on the Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor.

Potential trade-offs

• Focusing on the Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor, or a discrete number of areas where development activity is more intense, allows the goals to be more specific and impactful. However, it does mean that projects that happen outside this area will not benefit from this additional level of guidance.
• Providing goals for all of Oakland requires us to think about a diverse array of potential projects from single family homes and duplexes all the way up to mid-rise commercial buildings. The resulting goals are likely to be less specific, but they would apply to the largest number of project types, they just might not be as specific about what is desired from each of those projects.

Level of Detail

Staff recommend that each goal be concise and focused to minimize confusion and unintended consequences of overly elaborate proposals. This would likely be on the order of 3-5 sentences or a short paragraph for each goal. The entire letter could then fit on 1-2 pages.

This stage in the workshop is focused on reviewing community input received so far and identifying the topics or goals from that input that are most important to all the stakeholder groups represented on the Steering Committee. Staff will include the top six of these "collective goals" in the letter.

Different groups will likely have different priorities and this can get lost by averaging across all groups. For this reason, the next step after this one will focus on identifying goals that are very important to specific stakeholder groups.

As you review the input below, think about how important it is for this letter to provide development projects guidance between now and when the plan and Zoning Code provisions are adopted. Scoring something low doesn't mean it's not important, but instead, that you think it's not likely to be a big issue that comes up in development projects in the near-term before other measures are completed.

Rate each item from 0 starts (not important to include in the letter) to 5 stars (most important to include in the letter).

We recognize that multiple items below reference address the same topics. You are free to score them all the same or score your favorite version highest. For example, if affordable housing is the most important item to your organization, you could score all items referencing this topic very high, or you could pick the item you think does the best job of stating the goal and pick that one.

The remaining four goals in the letter will be provided by different groups of stakeholders represented on the Steering Committee. The breakout groups below will allow for discussion about what the topic priority is from the perspective of the group.

Remember, this should be the top priority that new development needs to address between now and when the plan and associated Zoning Code provisions are adopted. Think about what kinds of issues can pop up during this period of time and the kinds of projects you are most concerned about.

Staff will capture the discussion and then identify the goal that the group agrees is most important to them. This goal language should be bolded to make it clear to all which item was selected. We will have time for each group to report out about their discussion and what they chose.

Breakout Groups

1. Residents, OPDC, and elected officials
2. University staff and students
3. Institutions, employment, and businesses
4. Cultural institutions and other non-profits

Collective Content Results (All)

The top six goals are bolded and will be included in the letter. You are welcome to create a new goal or choose from the remaining list as the goal you would like to contribute on behalf your stakeholder group.

Oakland Plan staff have been working to incorporate input from the August through October online open house and past discussions with the Steering Committee to develop a draft vision statement and goals for each of the plan's four chapters: Community, Development, Mobility, and Infrastructure.

Following on from our work in October (archived below), staff present three potential vision statements for the Steering Committee to review and comment on. One of these statements was created by staff and the other two were crafted by Steering Committee members. The most popular vision statement will be updated based on the recommended changes and shared with the general public in 2021.

A. Community programs & livability

1. Representative governance and leadership. Civic mindedness is built through an increase in overall resident engagement at all levels of community organizing, and residents see themselves represented in the makeup of community leaders.
2. Resources are distributed to improve livability. Oakland is increasingly accessible and there’s a sense of safety and well-being, with an acknowledgement that achieving livability will require more resources in disinvested and disenfranchised communities.
3. Walkability. Livability and walkability are interconnected in Oakland, an already and increasingly dense place where the ability to not rely on a car impacts affordability and access to basic needs, such as groceries, childcare, and work.
4. Connective programming. Institutions and resident organizations collaborate to improve the lives of students and residents.

B. Cultural heritage & preservation

1. Preservation for affordability. Historic preservation efforts prioritize affordability and livability over integrity of single-family housing, supporting long-time residents and students.
2. Multi-purpose housing. Oakland’s multi-family, inter-generational, and inter-cultural heritage is celebrated in its built environment.
3. Accessible cultural amenities. Students and residents alike have access to cultural and recreational spaces, institutional and cultural events across all of Oakland.
4. Challenge culture of institutional racism. Recognize how institutional racism and government has contributed to inequality and the wealth gap between white people; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); and other marginalized communities.

C. Public art

1. Art is tangible. The amount of public art in Oakland increases and reflects the vibrancy and dynamism of the Oakland community, which is both constantly changing with new, young ideas, and given a sense of permanency by the professionals and families who live and work there.
2. Art is new. Public projects and private developments support community-building public art, recognizing Oakland’s role as a cultural hub of the City while challenging the notion that Oakland’s art is very traditional, located near exclusively in Central Oakland, and owned largely by institutions.

D. Public safety

1. Public safety as community well-being. All design, safety, and police decision-making identifies its impact on community well-being, racial equity, and gender equity.
2. Eyes on the street. More eyes on the street improves realities and perceptions of public safety.
3. Public conversation is a safe, trust-building space. Welcome and engage diverse perspectives in public meetings and in all conversations with public safety professionals, especially those of the African American, LGBTQIA+, and Native American communities.

E. Public facilities & services

1. Children easily access all public facilities. While Oakland provides public facilities and services for a broad range of demographics, all facilities and services will be designed to accommodate and provide easy, safe access for children.
2. Institutions collaborate to support new and existing public facilities. Support, design, and funding for new and existing public facilities comes from public and private institutions, providing services for all of Oakland’s children, students and families, especially in harder to reach places like South and West Oakland.
   
3. Public sports facilities are accessible and within walking distance. Sports facilities support community gathering and recreation, especially for children’s programming.

F. Public health

1. Young lungs can play. Through neighborhood, district, and regional-scale collaboration, Oakland’s community and institutions prioritize air quality to improve health outcomes for children, especially children of color.
2. Social determinants of health integrated in policy. Public health efforts are seen in the context of social determinants of health (ex. sustainability, equity, and access) for maximum impact of each intervention, especially as it relates to access to affordable, quality food, childcare, and healthcare.
3. Healthy spaces. As a dense intersection of many professions and walks of life, Oaklanders need access to businesses and a built environment that accommodates outdoor seating, walk-up ordering, visiting with minimal contact, and publicly-provided sanitation stations and bathrooms. These goals will improve the urban experience and community health outcomes for years to come.

G. Community uses in the right-of-way

1. Community streets accommodate community uses. Streets (especially those along pedestrian business corridors and near public facilities such as community centers) are seen as places for public gathering, in addition to their utility for mobility, helping to slow traffic, increase pedestrian safety, and support local businesses. Opportunities are identified for temporary and permanent community uses in the right-of-way as supported by transportation analyses.

H. Nuisance & enforcement issues

1. Fewer common public nuisances. The City, institutions, and community members collaborate to reduce the many public nuisances invading the public space experience that are in or viewable from the right-of-way through code enforcement, education, community programs, and service provision.
2. Renters, especially students, have safe, healthy living conditions. With its high and growing proportion of residents who rent, many of whom are college students, standards for rental units are clearly communicated to landlords and its renters and neighbors know how to advocate for safe, healthy living conditions that are clean and not over-crowded.
   

I. Schools & related programs

1. School feeder patterns are developed. Oakland continues to advocate for local public schools, but also develops feeder patterns for its children so community fabric is supported when children return home from school. Racial equity is an important consideration in achieving this goal.
2. After-school programming builds community. Since Oakland’s children do not have access to local public schools, after-school programs help children get to know other kids in their neighborhood and develop community bonds to help children and their families grow and learn together.

A. Land use policy and regulations

1. Focus regulations and guidelines. Zoning, design guidelines, and other policy tools are deployed to implement the plan’s vision and goals.
2. Active and coordinated advocacy. Institutions, non-profits, businesses, and residents understand relevant policies and regulations and act as advocates for new projects consistent with them.
3. Great experiences. Make Oakland an enjoyable and productive place to work for all.

B. Urban sustainable design

1. High performing buildings. Existing and new buildings minimize energy, water, and other resource use in their construction, materials used, management, and lifetime use.
2. Green healthy lifestyles. Private and public investments in commercial and residential areas are leveraged to make the neighborhood more healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable.
3. Maximize use of solar resources. The form and massing of buildings make careful use of sunlight and shade to maximize energy efficiency while improving the comfort of building users and the experience of people in surrounding areas throughout the day and all seasons.
4. Prioritizing trees in development. New and existing buildings in all areas of Oakland make room for healthy trees that provide shade, stormwater function, and habitat for non-human animal species. Where mature trees exist on parcels, their continued existence is prioritized with redevelopment.
5. Community building through neighborhood greening. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses, students and residents work together to build up community initiatives that connect people while making the neighborhood more sustainable, healthy, and equitable.

C. Equitable economic development

1. Welcoming Oakland. Oakland's institutions, non-profit organizations, and residents work proactively to welcome immigrants, refugees, and other disadvantaged groups to live, work, and play in the neighborhood.
2. Space for everyone. New and existing buildings prioritize design and tenanting practices to overcome systemic racial, gender, and migration-related injustices.
3. Inclusive hiring and contracting. Oakland employers and developers meet or exceed agreed upon targets for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.

D. Housing

1. Live-work opportunities for all. Target workforce development programs and employment opportunities for existing residents to avoid displacement, and create affordable housing for lower income employees so they can walk to work and benefit from Oakland's amenities and resources.
2. Housing diversity. Ensure a mix of rental and for sale housing is available at a wide range of income levels.
3. Invest in affordability. Prioritize public housing investments in Central, South, and West Oakland.
4. Family supportive housing. Regulations, policies, and programming supports the creation and improvement of existing buildings to provide housing options for families of all income levels.

E. Transit-oriented corridors and nodes

1. Vibrant commercial corridors. Fifth and Forbes Avenues, the Boulevard of the Allies, South Craig Street, and other smaller commercial corridors provide high quality pedestrian experiences with inviting public realm improvements, open spaces, and complementary ground floor uses.
2. Boulevard of the Allies as connector. Investments in the Boulevard of the Allies and adjacent land supports a pedestrian and transit-oriented character that stitches together Central and South Oakland, provides needed amenities to both areas, and addresses environmental needs.
3. Development that supports transit. The provision and design of private development and the public realm are coordinated to result in safer and more enjoyable transit experiences.
4. Connectivity to surrounding areas. Development activities around transit stations include safe and enjoyable pedestrian and bicycle connections through buildings to surrounding areas.
5. Local food hubs. Local food options are provided as a part of transit-oriented developments and investments, particularly when they take place on publicly owned property or receive public investments.
6. Transition parking. Development that incorporates significant amounts of parking is carefully design so that parking structures can be converted to other uses and circulation between buildings can be efficiently reprogrammed for non-auto uses.

A. Traffic calming & safety

1. No deaths from crashes (pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle) or police enforcement
2. Implement improvements to reduce crashes (all modes)
3. Establish modal priority streets
4. Create complete streets on priority corridors
5. Slow vehicular movements
6. Enhance pedestrian environment; design for pedestrian scale
7. Enforcement that does not disproportionately impact BIPOC
8. Ensure that deliveries do not diminish safety or access for other modes

B. Active transportation & micromobility

1. Ensure a safe, connected, accessible network for all people who use sidewalks
2. Ensure a safe, connected, accessible network for all people who ride bicycles
3. Well-lit pathways
4. ADA-compliant sidewalks and crossings
5. Reduce curb cuts in order to minimize conflicts with users of the sidewalk
6. Sidewalks remain clear of vehicles and other obstacles(temporary and/or movable)
7. Crossings include leading pedestrian lead intervals
8. Appropriately site Healthy Ride stations and other mobility hubs

C. Access to transit

1. All people in Oakland are within 10 minutes of rapid transit service
2. All people in Oakland are within a 5 minute walk of local transit service
3. All bus stops meet minimum design guidelines for safety and accessibility
4. Well-used bus stops located on the property of, or near, destinations have appropriate amenities for riders (e.g. shelters, benches, lighting, real-time transit information, etc.); incorporate amenities into new construction
5. Private shuttle services are coordinated with public transit to reduce congestion, emissions, operating costs, and redundancy of service
6. Ensure fare options to facilitate ridership for students, employees, and residents

D. Commuters & transportation demand management (TDM)

1. Reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips to Oakland
2. All employers (over X employees) have a TDM plan; all large employers have dedicated staff to implement TDM
3. No parking on sidewalks
4. All neighborhood parking is legal (e.g. people are parking legally on the street and all off-street parking is regulated)
5. Manage metered parking pricing to achieve 85% occupancy

A. Stormwater management

1. Manage stormwater from impervious surfaces, especially areas of the right-of-way that experience flooding.
2. Manage stormwater around hillsides to reduce landslide and erosion risk.
3. Focus on stormwater retention strategies at the surface to ease the burden on sewer systems.
4. Use green stormwater infrastructure with trees and plants where feasible.
5. Leverage development to better manage stormwater and encourage going beyond base code requirements.

B. Open space (including urban height island)

1. Create and expand open space where there is low access within a 15 minute walkshed.
2. Improve existing park amenities and expand amenities such as playgrounds, where there is community need.
3. Create new green connections, trails, and corridors connecting green spaces and population centers.
4. Make use of hillsides as open space amenities where feasible, with particular care to managing invasive species and reducing landslide risk.
5. Incentivize use of green roofs and other creative strategies in dense urban areas to improve access to open space.
6. Ensure all types of people have access to and feel welcomed in park and open spaces.
7. Leverage private development to increase public access to high-quality open space, and ensure these areas are dedicated in perpetuity with adequate access easements and good design.

C. Energy systems

1. Improve energy efficiency throughout the neighborhood.
2. Increase access to district energy/ promote use of combined heat and power.
3. Reduce energy burden.
4. Encourage installation of solar photovoltaics in underutilized air space.
5. Encourage recycling waste food as an alternative energy source.
6. Every new development should meet the 2030 district objectives.

D. Utilities

1. Ensure private development and institutional development plays a role in updating infrastructure.
2. Coordinate infrastructure installation with major transportation projects such as bus rapid transit.
3. Coordinate infrastructure planning / improvements with tree and landscape improvements.
4. Increase utilities outreach and coordination to install renewable energy (solar) in the neighborhoods.
5. Guarantee solar access to areas of neighborhood with the highest potential for solar photovoltaic generation.
6. Support households having trouble affording their utility bills.

E. Waste and recycling

1. Pursue responsible waste practices throughout the neighborhood.
2. Become a model for innovative waste management and upcycling.
3. Strive to become a zero-waste community
4. Enforce recycling mandate
5. Provide public trash and recycling receptacles where needed
6. Establish a district composting program
7. Become a model for innovative waste management and upcycling metrics

F. Tree canopy

1. Incorporate trees and green infrastructure in capital improvement projects, e.g. BRT, roadway and utility improvements, etc. including tree preservation and replacements where necessary.
2. Focus tree planting efforts on 5th and Forbes corridor.
3. Focus tree planting efforts on streets with low tree-canopy and high urban heat island effect (hotter temperatures)
4. Preserve existing trees and create stronger City review and enforcement requirements.
5. Use strategic tree plantings to improve air quality.
6. Increase diversity of tree plantings.
7. Increase soil volume standards and use strategic soil expansion techniques to help trees thrive in dense areas.
8. Promote rooftop tree plantings with adequate soil volume.
9. Improve tree volunteerism, making good use of student volunteers, working around issues with high turnover.

G. Habitat restoration

1. Use landscaping to enhance local quality of life metrics: focus on increased biodiversity and improving human health via a greener urban environment.
2. Monitor and improve environmental health, working with local universities and organizations.
3. Create a green roof and green façade program – make better use of private development.
4. Encourage institutions to diversify their landscapes, reducing impervious surfaces and lawn.
5. Reduce parking and impermeable areas to increase vegetation.
6. Better manage hillsides to reduce invasive species and reduce landslide risk.
7. Focus on improving tree canopy as one of the most important ways to improve habitat for humans and wildlife.

H. Urban agriculture

1. Maximize local food production opportunities within the unique context of student population and schedule.
2. Encourage food gardens in residential areas, harkening back to habits of earlier immigrants.

I. Digital network

1. Expend free internet access into neighborhood open space areas.
2. Work with City, PPS, Carnegie Library, and university programs to ensure all students have access to tech needs and internet access.

J. Air quality

1. Improve neighborhood air and water quality.
2. Use tree plantings with specific tree species and strategic locations to improve air quality.
3. Reduce private vehicle use and increase public transit to reduce emissions.
4. Encourage broader involvement in regional air quality policy, and connect Oakland residents to university air quality monitoring programs and studies.