Community Action Team Meeting #7

5:00 – 5:10 PM: Welcome and Agenda Setting

5:10 – 5:25 PM: Progress to date, next stage of the process, research & engagement tools

5:25 – 6:05 PM: Breakout room discussions, respond to Goals & Strategies Draft 2

6:05 – 6:20 PM: Large group discussion

6:20 – 6:30 PM: Wrap Up, any questions about next phase?

Click here to see tonight's presentation (pdf).

Draft 2 of Goals & Strategies

Click here to see Draft 2 of the Goals & Strategies (pdf).

Breakout Rooms: Goals & Strategies Draft 2

Tell us what you think of the changes made in Draft 2 of the Goals & Strategies. It's a pretty massive document, so we suggest that Breakout Rooms pick a topic to start with, and give everyone a few minutes to review that topic. There is no need to finish the entire document tonight, as this Conversation Tool will remain open for comments for a few weeks.

Conversation Starters

1. We have discussed the need for a community center and Oakland’s rich history of community events and programs. What kinds of events would you like to see implemented in the future to bring the community together?
2. We have discussed Oakland’s rich architectural legacy. Would you welcome the chance to engage with other cities that have been innovative and successful in their approach to preservation and community character?
3. Part of the nuisance conversations has consistently been the idea of clutter and trash. Would additional concerted community-centric clean ups and other opportunities be useful and of interest?
4. In your opinion, do the large institutions have an appropriate potential role to play with local Oakland organizational capacity building and support? Would you welcome opportunities to explore what may be possible in an official and organized manner?
5. Is there an element of the Community Action Team that you’re particularly interested in learning and engaging more about?

PAST: Community Action Team: May Work

Research and Outreach to Develop Specific Strategies

From November 2020 through present, the first step of the Community Action Team has been to work through ten topics, hearing from expert presenters, reviewing relevant content from the Oakland 2025 Master Plan and Existing Conditions Report, and identifying issues and opportunities. All of the materials and comments from the Issues & Opportunities step have been archived here.

Hundreds of comments were organized into an initial draft list of ideas to develop into specific strategies over the course of the Action Team's remaining work through the summer of 2021. These are included below and are organized under draft goals for each topic generated by the Steering Committee.

This content will be further developed, changed, and improved as we learn more and develop specific strategies.

Summary of Staff Process to Create Ideas

1. Organize all Action Team comments (archived here) under the Community topics. Add comments received from the 2020 Online Open House (archived here) and neighborhood association input map (archived here). Combine similar comments.
2. Review all comments and draft ideas to address them. This involved noting topics or proposals that were related and could be combined to meet multiple needs.
3. Organize ideas under draft goals for each topic.
4. Review all Action Team comments, and other comments received through above noted input methods, and begin to draft strategies to fulfill the various goals. Review these strategies with the Oakland Plan Steering Committee, and then with the Community Action Team.

Next Steps

After these strategies are presented to the Steering Committee on April 28, 2021, they will be shared digitally with the Action Team for comment from the end of April 2021 through to the June 2021 meeting of the Community Action Team.

Please Read

A class from the University of Pittsburgh has spent the semester exploring a critical question for the Community Action Team. The intention was for the students to present at the May 2021 Community Action Team meeting, but due to the proximity of the meeting to finals/end of school year/graduation the timing did not work out. In lieu of this, please review the presentation they prepared that detailed their process and findings answering the following questions:

1. What can be done to retain Oakland's post-graduation student population?
2. What can be done to make Oakland's diverse student population feel more welcome?
3. How may a growing, young, professional population impact other communities in Oakland?

A. Community Programs & Livability

DRAFT GOAL A1. 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 and elected officials.

1. Examine similar cities, including sister cities, and how they have created "university cities" that are affordable, walkable, and beautiful.
2. Ensure residents (renters and homeowners; students and long-time residents) all have representation in decision making.
   
3. Increase the number of community organizers able to assist residents in navigating resources for legal advice, food access, home ownership assistance, volunteer opportunities, translation, etc.
   

DRAFT GOAL A2. 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.

1. Increase food access in Oakland using a twofold approach of bringing in a large grocery store to meet basic needs, and supporting small, locally owned groceries and personal goods stores for specialty items and shorter trips.
2. Improve access to food and basic needs with better transportation infrastructure, including public transit, walkability, and coordinated parking strategies.
   
3. Build community amenities in South Oakland that support residents, such as cafes, pocket parks, laundromats, convenience/corner stores, small businesses, etc. Change zoning to allow mixed use within the neighborhood, and neighborhood-oriented businesses along the Boulevard of the Allies.
   
4. Expand food pantry and food access opportunities in South Oakland, building community support for Community Human Services (CHS) facilities.
   
5. Grow food pantry and open new locations to reduce food insecurity among all Oakland residents, but especially among students, people experiencing homelessness, families, and people of color (who currently experience 20%-40% higher food insecurity rates). Prioritize access to better quality, healthy, diverse food options.
   

DRAFT GOAL A3. 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.

1. Build public transportation, micro-mobility, and walkability options within Oakland and from Oakland to other neighborhoods, instead of just from Oakland to downtown.
2. Ensure all right-of-way improvements prioritize age-friendly options, including seniors, children, and the disability community.
   
3. Improve experience of waiting for the bus with bus stops that include art, lighting, and signage; ensure that bus stops are easily and safety accessed by pedestrians with well-marked and lit crosswalks, and well-maintained sidewalks.
   
4. Identify areas in Oakland without access to basic services and amenities within a 20 minute walk; prioritize pedestrian and mixed-use development infrastructure in these areas.
   

DRAFT GOAL A4. Connective programming. Institutions and resident organizations collaborate to improve the lives of students and residents.

1. Concentrate entertainment amenities (ex. dining, shopping, going to the movies/theater, etc. along the Fifth and Forbes corridors to support Oakland as a cultural district.
2. Identify what would incentivize employees to stay in Oakland after work to visit local businesses.
3. Identify opportunities for the Community Land Trust to attract more homeowners to the neighborhood.
4. Build an institutionally-funded grant program that identifies micro-level community-led projects to realize Oakland as a laboratory for an innovative and inclusive urban experience.
   

DRAFT GOAL A5. Student retention. Build career opportunities and add amenities for young professionals and young families so more students stay in Oakland after graduation.

1. Collaborate with major institutions and nonprofits to create a community center or community gathering space in South Oakland (ex. community kitchen).
2. Identify opportunities for block parties to build relationships between long-term residents, homeowners, and students.
3. Address overlaps in amenity needs for students versus families to ensure Oakland is welcoming to families and young professionals.
   

B. Cultural Heritage & Preservation

DRAFT GOAL B1. Preservation supports affordability. Historic preservation efforts prioritize affordability and livability over integrity of single-family housing, supporting long-time residents and students.

1. As you go up Negley from Fifth, new developments should stay within the architecture of the neighborhood (not small things like taking out a bay window), but housing and preservation and community should feel cohesive.
2. Require all historic preservation projects to identify strategies for economic inclusion.

DRAFT GOAL B2. Multi-purpose housing. Oakland’s multi-family, inter-generational, and inter-cultural heritage is celebrated in its built environment.

1. Update the zoning code to allow for space for artists studios and creator spaces, especially along the Craig Street and Boulevard of the Allies corridors. Identify strategies to increase diversity of artists through programming and funding of these creative spaces.

DRAFT GOAL B3. Accessible cultural amenities. Students, residents, immigrants, and visitors have access to cultural and recreational spaces, institutional and cultural events across all of Oakland.

1. Preserve existing architectural art spaces in Oakland's many historic cultural spaces (ex. art in places of worship).
2. Blend historic preservation into development with stronger design standards that enable higher buildings and more density that is aesthetically consistent with nearby historic structures.

DRAFT GOAL B4. 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 through accountability mechanisms that identify inequities and are empowered to reconcile them through direct action.

1. Collaborate with the museums, library, and cultural attractions to engage people of color, especially children of color, in Oakland as an outdoor arts and culture destination. All children who grow up in Oakland should have free access to these cultural attractions, and see themselves reflected in the artwork and literature shared in these spaces.

C. Public Art

DRAFT GOAL C1. Art is tangible and representative. 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.

1. Celebrate historic figures who came from Oakland and images of historic Oakland that continue to leave an imprint through placards and preservation. Where full preservation is not an option, create public art that memorializes what was there and integrates it into the contemporary context.
2. Allow the public to access large gathering spaces and the art/architectural marvels within historic structures as part of a year-round accessible privately owned public space strategy (POPS).

DRAFT GOAL C2. Art is current and relevant. 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.

1. Create a public art walk in Oakland that helps visitors and residents explore their neighborhood, with temporary and provocative artwork by young, diverse artists added with support from local institutions.

D. Public Safety

DRAFT GOAL D1. 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.

1. Decrease the number of vehicles using the Boulevard of the Allies instead of the Parkway to get from downtown to the eastern suburbs.
2. Create a program that identifies needs among Oakland's seniors and others in need of community services and matches them with trained/screened volunteers.
   

DRAFT GOAL D2. Eyes on the street. Build a community that encourages people to use public spaces to improve the realities and perceptions of public safety.

1. Improve safety outcomes for those travelling while it is dark outside through better lighting, micro-mobility available at all hours (ex. scooter home to South Oakland from a bus stop on the Boulevard), and clearly marked and responsive emergency services. Ensure that women and people of color help to design these facilities.
2. Install AEDs, hemorrhage control kits, and other emergency care equipment in public spaces throughout Oakland to support critical care while EMS is en route. Discuss opportunities for these devices and kits to be located within businesses along commercial corridors as well.

DRAFT GOAL D3. 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+, Native American, and ADA community.

1. Create clear avenues for stakeholder engagement through collaborations and improved communication between community organizations and major institutions.
2. Create a protest and public assembly guide to support Oakland's young people (and all others!) in advocating for various social causes and reduce incidences of police and community violence so that those protesting and those observing know their rights, and are educated and equipped to support safe community dialogue. Identify institutional resources for those seeking more information about how to assemble legally.

F. Public Health

DRAFT GOAL F1. 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.

1. Identify locations for community health facilities within a 20 minute walk of all Oakland residents through collaboration with local healthcare institutions.

DRAFT GOAL F2. 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.

1. Increase the number of street trees, particularly in South and West Oakland, to provide better shaded pedestrian experience.
2. Improve access to food and basic needs with better transportation infrastructure, including public transit, walkability, and coordinated parking strategies.
3. Identify locations for childcare within a 20 minute walk of all Oakland residents through collaboration with local institutions.
   

DRAFT GOAL F3. 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, expanded sidewalk and gathering spaces, and publicly-provided sanitation stations and bathrooms. These goals will improve movement in the urban experience and community health outcomes for years to come.

1. Ensure design is friendly to all ages, supporting a universally designed, age-in-place feeling.
2. Public composting services extended to Oakland; major institutions and local businesses collaborate to identify composting partners to reduce food waste.
3. Install free wifi infrastructure in all public parks and bus stops. Explore opportunities to provide broader internet access to residential homes, especially those with limited access due to financial hardship.
4. Increase foot traffic along major corridors, including Boulevard of the Allies, by buffering sidewalks with protected bike lanes and reducing the overall speed of traffic.

E. Public Facilities & Services

DRAFT GOAL E1. 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.

1. Create spaces for children that offer easy visibility, places for parents to watch, and good lighting and waste facilities. Children's facilities should be easily accessed by public transit and bike lanes so they can get there quickly for after-school programming. See Goal I2.1.
2. Create spaces for after-school activities that are welcoming to children of color, and safely accessed by foot or bike. See Goal I2.1.

DRAFT GOAL E2. 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 more geographically isolated communities of South and West Oakland.

1. Identify placemaking opportunities in South and West Oakland that offer pockets of urban respite within a short walk of residential communities.

DRAFT GOAL E3. Public sports and community facilities are accessible and within walking distance. Sports and community facilities support community gathering and recreation, especially for children's programming.

I. Schools & Related Programs

DRAFT GOAL I1. 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.

1. Advocate for additional public schooling options.

DRAFT GOAL I2. After-school programming builds community. Since Oakland's children do not currently have access to local public schools, after-school programs help children, especially children of color, get to know other kids in their neighborhood and develop community bonds to help children and their families grow and learn together.

1. Ensure that all Oakland children have access to award-winning public education. Create partnerships with local institutions to integrate innovative technologies in children's education, and provide students with access to university and institution facilities for living-learning opportunities.

G. Community Uses in the Right-Of-Way

DRAFT GOAL G1. 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.

1. Slow down the Boulevard by narrowing the road, providing bike lanes, and increasing the number of crosswalks and pedestrian facilities. The Boulevard of the Allies should feel like a community street.
2. Allow the right-of-way to be repurposed to improve walkability and the pedestrian experience, including providing benches, trash and recycling bins, and lighting at regular intervals.
   
3. Enable use of the right-of-way for community building opportunities such as block parties, street festivals, and street-side vendors.
   
4. Reduce individual car ownership to allow for more right-of-way space to be reclaimed by pedestrians, bicyclists, and street market enterprises. Identify specific strategies to reduce vehicle ownership and create targets for public health and air quality as there are fewer private vehicles.
   

H. Nuisance & Enforcement Issues

DRAFT GOAL H1. 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.

1. Improve pedestrian and bicyclist visibility along packed residential streets by moving parked cars further from intersections. Identify additional strategies to improve visibility.
2. Provide attractive, sturdy waste bins for all Oakland residents with tight-fitting lids (necessary due to the population density of Oakland where exposed trash attracts vermin and creates litter).
   
3. Protect sidewalks as a space for pedestrians. Identify strategies to reduce cars parking on the sidewalks and how mobility strategies can improve walkability and accessibility outcomes for the community.
   

DRAFT GOAL H2. 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.