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Oakland
Upper Broadway/Auto Row
Upper Broadway, otherwise known as Auto Row, has few homes and many
car dealerships. Instead, this corridor could be transformed into the
new retail heart of Oakland.
The City of Oakland is pursuing a specific plan to guide new development along the nearly 1-mile stretch of Broadway between West Grand and Highway 580. The Upper Broadway Retail Corridor Specific Plan will create a framework for the construction of approximately 1,700 new homes and more than 3,900 new jobs. The City plans to relocate existing dealerships to the Oakland Army base.
The overall 24-acre area is now home to around 14,307 residents, with a goal of 17,000 by 2030 as a result of this plan. The process will conclude with the City of Oakland approving the plan and a related Environmental Impact Report, and amending the General Plan and zoning.
What's at Stake
Upper Broadway is fortunate to have ideal transit infrastructure already in place. In addition to being near the 19th Street and MacArthur BART stations, the corridor is well-served by AC Transit. The 51 bus route, which runs along Broadway, has the most frequent service of any route in the system and carries the most passengers. Several other routes serve the area, including the "all-nighter" 851 route and the line 1 rapid route.
Greenbelt Alliance, in partnership with the Great
Communities Collaborative, supports the development
of homes, shops, and jobs along the corridor. The wide and busy Broadway,
however, should be revitalized to make it easier for people to walk
to where they want to go. New development should include traffic calming
devices, wider sidewalks to provide safe pathways, and bus shelters
should be plentiful and welcoming along the corridor.
Overall, the plan should lay the groundwork for transforming this corridor into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood with homes people can afford.
What You Can Do
Attend the next public workshop for the plan on July 9 at First Presbyterian Church, 2619 Broadway (at 26th Street) in
Oakland. For exact times and to RSVP, contact Marla Wilson.
Learn more about the vision that consultants have laid out for
the area by reading the Conley
report.
Email Oakland councilmembers to tell them you want the Upper Broadway plan to include a mix of jobs, shops, and homes, with better bike and pedestrian access! Find your councilmember at the city website.
To get on the City of Oakland list for this planning effort, email Kerry
Jo Ricketts-Ferris of the City of Oakland's Community and Economic
Development Agency.
To get involved in Greenbelt Allliance's campaign, email Marla
Wilson for more information.
Campaign Update
June 2009 In late April, the City of Oakland held its first Community Stakeholders
meeting. Greenbelt Alliance staff has a seat on this group, and attended to voice support for
affordable housing, jobs for local residents, and sustainable urban design in the plan. At the City's first public workshop for the plan area, EBHO organized and provided
transportation for 35 local low-income seniors to come and
speak up for more affordable housing in the new development. The second meeting of the
Stakeholders group will take place in late June, and the second public workshop will be held in
early July.
Greenbelt Alliance is working to identify a consultant to create a policy
paper, likely focusing on the retail needs of mixed-income communities, to augment the
information the City has in pursuing an inclusive plan. Staff is also working to meet with other
members of the Stakeholders Committee to build support for Greenbelt Alliance objectives, and has been in touch with the Sierra Club about hosting a coffee event for
Greenbelt Alliance and Sierra Club members in Oakland to get them involved.
March 2009
Greenbelt Alliance is working with East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) as its local partner
for this campaign. Greenbelt Alliance will be serving on
the Community Advisory Committee for the Specific Plan process, which held its first meeting March 26. Greenbelt Alliance and EBHO hosted a morning walking tour of the plan
area, with nonprofit affordable housing developers and architects.
The City of Oakland plans to unveil its project vision and goals in a series of
community workshops. Greenbelt Alliance and EBHO
are working collaboratively; our joint campaign platform currently includes a focus on affordable housing,
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sustainable urban design for bicyclists and pedestrians, and high-quality jobs for Oakland
residents.
October 2008
The City of Oakland has selected a planning consultant and expects the process to kick off on December 3 and last 18 to 24 months. Greenbelt Alliance will spend the fall months meeting with key staff and decision-makers to understand their vision for the corridor and the challenges they anticipate in making that vision a reality. Greenbelt Alliance is also working to secure a local partner to receive funding through the Great Communities Collaborative to work on engaging the community in the planning process.
