Unveiled at an event held last week at the University of Pittsburgh, "Oakland 2025: A vision for sustainable living and mobility" is the culmination of a process that involved a laundry list of institutional, community, and governmental partners.
Home to historic districts, universities, health care facilities, and cultural venues, Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood is truly ‘a city within a city'; which made developing a long-term comprehensive plan with the participation of a diverse set of partners all the more difficult.
"It's a monster," said Wanda Wilson, executive director of the Oakland
Planning and Development Corp. "I think the thing that's going to help
[with implementation] is that we have these partnerships in place -- not
that it's going to be a piece of cake."
According to Diana Nelson Jones, "[p]riorities include an Oakland bus loop; better pedestrian navigation and
bicycle infrastructure; hillside restoration and other greening
efforts; more attractive gateways into Oakland; the return of the
Oakland Code Enforcement Task Force -- a resident-based network renamed
Oakwatch -- and better town-and-gown relations with outreach and
reclamation of student rentals in residential neighborhoods."
"Unlike most neighborhood-specific plans, Oakland's is likely to have
regional implications, especially as transportation goals are
implemented," says Jones.
"Obviously, as the third-largest employment center in the state, with
cultural institutions that serve the region, Oakland has to plan with
that in mind," said Jonathan Kline, co-principal at Studio for Spatial Practice. "At the same time, he said, there is a
certain parochial feel to each of Oakland's neighborhoods."
FULL STORY: Oakland shaping 'monster' of long-term vision plan

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

DC Area County Eliminates Bus Fares
Montgomery County joins a growing trend of making transit free.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)