Oakland

A Renaissance in Oakland

An urban renaissance is underway in Oakland, where a population surge and a fleet of trendy shops has revived parts of a formerly crime-ridden city.

March 21, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Growth Slows in Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area has seen its smallest rate of growth in the state's history, according to data from the 2010 Census.

March 11, 2011 - The Contra Costa Times

Urban Agriculture Program Gets Boost in Oakland

A small-scale urban agriculture project in Oakland, California is set to receive a $4 million grant to expand its work.

November 14, 2010 - Grist

The Fractiousness of Bay Area Transit

From outside, it can appear that the San Francisco Bay Area is very good at transit. But when you look deeper, you'll see that the system of regional governance makes change and improvements for commuters nearly impossible, says Yonah Freemark.

September 30, 2010 - Next American City

Using YouTube to Make Zoning Understandable

The City of Oakland, California has produced a series of videos to help explain what zoning is and what the city's zoning update will do. The city's zoning code hasn't been comprehensively updated since 1965.

August 6, 2010 - City of Oakland

Ciclovia Goes to Oakland for 'Oaklavia'

Oakland, California recently closed off two miles of city street to cars, creating a Bogota-inspired ciclovia, dubbed 'Oaklavia'.

July 9, 2010 - Streetsblog

Controversial BART to Airport Being Built Anyway

Back in February, the Federal Transportation Administration revoked $70m in funding from the proposed BART airport connector over civil rights violations. Streetsblog reports that BART is forging ahead anyway and looking for other funders.

June 24, 2010 - Streetsblog

City Wants $630,000 to Study Streetcar Plan: Student Does It For $987

Daniel Jacobson, an undergrad at Stanford, developed a thorough study recommending everything the City of Oakland would need to build, run and finance a streetcar through its downtown.

June 11, 2010 - The San Francisco Chronicle

$70 Million in Transit Stimulus Funds at Risk

BART's people-mover connection to the Oakland Airport is jeopardized by an FTA ruling that the agency failed to reach out to minorities, potentially denying the agency of $70 million in stimulus funds. Might the funds go to other transit needs?

January 26, 2010 - SF Gate - Oakland Blog

New Oakland Cafe Is "Cycle-Friendly"

This new cafe in Oakland does more than welcome cyclists - it caters to them. It is a welcome addition in a neighborhood that has seen more than its share of crime. Check out the pedal-powered video player.

January 11, 2010 - YouTube

Longest 'Complete Street' Proposed in Oakland

Long-held plans to build a bus rapid transit system connecting Oakland with nearby cities may also result in the creation of what some are calling the longest "complete street" in the state.

January 9, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

People Mover to Link BART and Airport

Oakland International Airport will link directly with a nearby BART station through a driver-less people mover, according to a decision made recently by BART directors.

December 11, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland A Food Hub Once Again

Affordable space, city incentives, and good transport are bringing Oakland, CA back to its roots as a center of the food processing industry.

October 28, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

How Do We Pay For City Services?

Inspired by the revelation that Oakland, CA is stepping up their traffic and parking enforcement to make up a budget shortfall, Geoff Manaugh rethinks the entire process of how we fund our cities.

August 28, 2009 - BLDBLOG

BART Planning Huge Investment in New Cars

BART is set to embark on a $3.4 billion project to replace its existing trains with 700 new cars that will carry more people, move passengers through stations faster, and meet the needs of suburban and urban riders.

May 10, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Foreclosure Crisis Taking Toll on Public Health

Officials and advocates in Oakland California are warning that the foreclosure crisis is not only leading to evictions, but also growing public health problems and community blight.

April 26, 2009 - Mercury News

Zoning Update in Oakland?

An antiquated set of zoning laws has been at the heart of a debate between preservationists and developers in Oakland for years, though a compromise in the form of new zoning rules may be in the city's near future.

April 15, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Catering to Oakland's Enclaves

A one-size-fits-all urban landscape doesn't mean that different ethnic neighborhoods don't find ways to personalize them. A UC Berkeley graduate student investigates how cultures perceive space.

March 18, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Historic Preservation Through Virtual Reality

By utilizing virtual reality software, students at UC Berkeley are recreating a historic stretch of Oakland, California's 7th Street, a historic hotbed of jazz and blues clubs during the 1940s and '50s.

March 7, 2008 - UC Berkeley

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.