Oakland

Float supporting rent control with "Vote rent control now" banner behind several sitting people drives through Oakland Pride parade in 2024.

Oakland residents fear AI-fueled gentrification

The new tech boom that's driving up rents in San Francisco could have rippling impacts on East Bay communities.

June 5, 2026 - Oaklandside

Google Maps street view of Trader Joe's grocery store in Oakland, California.

'Grocery-to-housing' developer wants to bring 415 units of senior housing to Oakland Trader Joe's site

The proposal is using California's density bonus and other laws to sidestep potential local opposition.

April 24, 2026 - The Real Deal

Four-story greenish-brown apartment buildings in Oakland, California.

Oakland opens first affordable housing for teachers

The school district says 70% of its teachers can't afford to live in Oakland.

April 6, 2026 - ABC 7 News

Street in Oakland, California with subway entrance in foreground.

Oakland Drafts First Revision of General Plan Since 1998

The public has until April 23 to comment on the sweeping plan that addresses land use, transportation, and infrastructure.

March 30, 2026 - Oaklandside

Unhoused man pushed a shopping cart filled with items and a bicycle along an empty canal in Phoenix, Arizona.

New Phoenix and Oakland Homelessness Plans Prioritize Prevention, Permanent Housing

Phoenix’s unsheltered homeless population grew by 28 percent last year.

March 8, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Figure skater Alysa Liu holds up her gold medal against blue backgrounf at the Milan-Cortino Olympics.

Alysa Liu's Oakland Training Center Highlights the Importance of California's Defunded Redevelopment Agencies

The financial and legal ecosystem that led to the creation of the Oakland Ice Center no longer exists after California dissolved its state redevelopment agencies.

March 2, 2026 - Next City

Man walks past homeless encampment behind concrete Jersey barriers on street in Oakland, California with RVs parked behind tents.

Oakland Mayor, City Council Offer ‘Radically Different’ Plans for Reducing Homelessness

Mayor Barbara Lee wants to reduce encampment sweeps and focus on improving sanitation while city council members want to increase enforcement, particularly against illegally parked RVs.

February 17, 2026 - The Mercury News

Woman reading book with white earbud in ear while sitting on train.

Planetizen’s Top Urban Planning Books of 2025

How thoughtful deregulation could unlock a housing and infrastructure boom, the social histories that lie behind a globalizing economy, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in planning.

November 26, 2025 - Planetizen Team

Aerial view of schoolyard in Oakland, California with newly planted trees, sports courts, and playground equipment.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds

With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

April 2, 2025 - FacilitiesNet

Silver electric BMW car parked in driveway of home in Oakland, California.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers

Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

April 1, 2025 - City of Oakland

View of San Francisco Bay on sunny day from residential area of Oakland, California.

Oakland Adopts Urban Forest Plan to Foster Equity and Environmental Justice

The Oakland City Council has adopted its first Urban Forest Plan, a 50-year roadmap focused on equitable tree care, canopy preservation, and environmental justice to benefit underserved communities.

December 23, 2024 - City of Oakland

Yellow electric school bus with preteen students exiting.

Oakland Electric School Buses Can Return Power to Grid

The district’s fully electric fleet features vehicle-to-grid technology that lets buses act as batteries when not in use.

September 4, 2024 - Grist

Former auto showroom converted to apartments in Oakland, California with vintage facade and new tower rising above

‘Facadism:’ Historical Preservation, Fakery—or a Little of Both?

Developers in cities like Oakland, California are turning to vintage architectural elements to inform building renovations, but this repackaging is far from traditional preservation work.

April 6, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

A view from above of the Oakland neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Moves Ahead With Zoning Changes for University-Adjacent Neighborhood

The implementation of a new master plan for the neighborhood of Oakland, home to the University of Pittsburgh, is moving forward despite controversy and a contentious community engagement process.

February 24, 2023 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Oakland fire truck

Bike Lanes Pitted Against Fire Safety in Oakland

The city’s fire department is pushing back on proposed bike lanes and narrower streets, citing concerns about emergency access.

December 9, 2022 - Oaklandside

Victorian homes in Oakland, California

Closing the Homeownership Knowledge Gap

An Oakland program geared at Black homeowners wants to empower households to understand the opportunities in building and renting accessory dwelling units.

August 29, 2022 - Next City

Vacant boarded-up storefronts along Powell Street in San Francisco, California.

Bay Area Pop-Ups Aim To Activate Vacant Storefronts

As commercial storefronts experience high vacancy rates, cities like Oakland and San Francisco are making concerted efforts to support temporary tenants, public art installations, and small entrepreneurs that can revitalize abandoned spaces.

July 7, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Tent City Bay Area

Oakland to Consider 1,000-Room Homeless Shelter

Oakland, California, will consider a former Army base as the location for its largest shelter as its population of people experiencing homelessness grows.

May 9, 2022 - The San Francisco Chronicle

A view of the Oakland, California skyline in Downtown.

Lessons From Oakland's Universal Basic Mobility Pilot

A program that distributed prepaid, transit-only debit cards to 500 Oakland residents has been successful in shifting transportation patterns for many of its participants.

April 11, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Accessory Dwelling Unit rendering

A Tour of East Bay ADUs

Now that cities and states are recognizing the potential of middle-density zoning, builders and homeowners are getting creative with Accessory Dwelling Unit designs that minimize costs and maximize comfort.

January 30, 2022 - BuildinganADU.com

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.