OAKLAND
ACTIVE REDEVELOPMENT
Oakland has used its redevelopment agency as a powerful tool to facilitate infill. The agency oversees ten project areas, covering almost all of the city’s neighborhoods except North Oakland and the eastern hills. It took a very active role in coordinating recent developments around Old Oakland and the 12th Street BART station.
The redevelopment agency also helped in
the transformation of one of Oakland’s
biggest infill developments, the Uptown
project. The site’s location and size
made it unique: 10 acres within walking
distance of downtown and the 19th Street
BART station, a central hub of the entire
BART system. The city had tried for 20
years to redevelop the area, a brownfield
with few residents.
The Uptown plan that finally succeeded
was the result of creative partnerships and
input from numerous community groups.
The primary partnership was between
developer Forest City and the City of
Oakland; the city provided significant
funding. The East Bay Community
Foundation facilitated negotiations with
community groups such as the Coalition
for Workforce Housing. This 20-group
alliance advocated for affordable housing,
as well as a park, childcare, and a local
grocery store; all of these are now part
of the project. In keeping with the city’s
emphasis on sustainable development,
Forest City also made the Uptown project
the first residential building in Oakland
to be LEED-certified (Silver).
Looking Ahead
Oakland’s infill development will
continue beyond Uptown and beyond the
10K Initiative. The Association of Bay
Area Governments’ draft Regional
Housing Needs Allocation requires the
city to plan for 14,629 homes by 2014,
the third-highest number in the region.
Thus far, Oakland’s redevelopment efforts,
especially the 10K Initiative, have not
emphasized affordable housing. Community
groups have to negotiate for affordable
homes in each new project, as Oakland
has no inclusionary housing ordinance
and no mandatory community benefits.
Oakland’s future growth will need to
include affordable homes.
Downtown Leadership The third-largest city in the Bay Area,
Oakland has a central location and eight
BART stations that make it ideal for
infill. In recent years, Oakland has made When he took office in 1999, Mayor Jerry
Brown envisioned a vibrant downtown for the city, but for retail and entertainment By April 2008, this had resulted in plans for more than 10,000 homes downtown, with 4,500 homes built or under construction, and the first residential high-rise built downtown in 20 years. Leadership and proactive efforts have fueled the city’s success with the 10K Initiative. |
“The Uptown project is an outstanding example of what a public /
private partnership can accomplish: a mixed-use, transit-oriented
project that has transformed the Arts and Entertainment district
and improved the economy.”
– Susan Smartt, Senior Vice President, Forest City Residential West