OAKLAND'S GENERAL PLAN OF 1998
Oakland’s government began to formally participate in the planning process in 1957 when its first General Plan was adopted. General plans addressed land use, transportation and housing issues through programs like OCCUR and Ora. The most current General Plan was adopted in 1998 and to extend to 2015. It acts as the current vision for the city’s economic, social and cultural growth. This plan emphasizes Oakland’s ethnic, cultural and historical diversity and calls for both innovation and conservation to preserve this tradition. It encourages all future growth and development to be done in a sustainable manner.
LAND USE
The five major themes of Oakland’s land use are:
- Industry and Commerce: To help support Oakland's local industry, the plan focuses on building up the Seaport, Airport, Downtown, Waterfront and Coliseum areas. Known as the “Showcase Districts”, these areas will strengthen Oakland’s economy, establish bioscience and biotechnology areas and link Oakland with its surrounding universities and laboratories.
- Transportation: The General Plan highlights the city’s transportation issues of at-capacity freeways, public transportation budget cuts and the lack of bicycle and pedestrian routes. As a result, the plan calls for “transit-oriented districts” that include housing, retail shops, local services and access to public transportation.
- Downtown: The city plans for smart growth in Downtown by calling for high density residencies, offices and commercial spaces. Downtown will become a more vibrant city center while enhancing its historical architecture and communications network.
- Waterfront: Oakland’s Waterfront is home to the fourth largest container port in the United States, an expanding airport, commercial space and natural areas. While the plan states that the port and airport must continue to grow, it focuses more on the creation of new open spaces and mixed-use centers that will establish a new livable city district.
- Neighborhoods: Oakland contains over 60 diverse neighborhoods, including some which are suffering because of neighboring industry. The plan hopes to address incompatible uses but ultimately develop “housing business mix” districts where environmentally-friendly industry share space with housing. This will enhance proximity to jobs and limit the need of transportation. Neighborhood development in existing areas will preserve the established community character and build upon the neighborhood center.
TRANSPORTATION
In 2007 the city adopted its Bicycle Master Plan in order to encourage bicycling as a feasible transportation option. This plan outlines three major goals:
- building the necessary infrastructure
- improving bicycling safety through education and community outreach,
- coordinating policy with implementation
The Master Plan identifies Oakland’s existing features that encourage or inhibit bicycling. It then outlines its policy recommendations in regards to the bikeway network, routine accommodation of bicycling, safe routes, supporting facilities, education and project development. The plan lists and prioritizes projects to develop Oakland’s bikeway network.
Oakland has argued that encouraging bicycling positively impacts the city’s transportation system and sustainability aspect. 85% percent of Oakland’s residents live in a 2-mile radius to downtown or a major transit center, and many expressed that if safe bike routes were available they would use bikes over automobiles. This would increase the efficiency of roadway and parking capacity. In addition it would reduce Oakland’s greenhouse gas emissions and encourage an active lifestyle among all residents, as it is an affordable mode of transportation.
Oakland has argued that encouraging bicycling positively impacts the city’s transportation system and sustainability aspect. 85% percent of Oakland’s residents live in a 2-mile radius to downtown or a major transit center, and many expressed that if safe bike routes were available they would use bikes over automobiles. This would increase the efficiency of roadway and parking capacity. In addition it would reduce Oakland’s greenhouse gas emissions and encourage an active lifestyle among all residents, as it is an affordable mode of transportation.
The City of Oakland also created a Pedestrian Master Plan in 2001 in order to “promote...public spaces...[that offer] a level of convenience, safety and attractiveness to the pedestrian that will encourage and reward the choice to walk[4].” The plan outlines its five goals as:
It wants to establish secure, walkable routes, especially to schools and other transit connections, which encourage land uses supporting public spaces. A walkable city offers many of the same benefits as a bicycle-friendly city, including sustainability, health and equal access across residents’ backgrounds. In addition, walkable cities promote the vitality of its communities by utilizing the public space of sidewalks, making them livable, social and working spaces. For a continued discussion on transportation in Oakland see: Regional Relations |
ESTUARY POLICY PLAN
As a part of the general plan, the Estuary Policy Plan focuses on the area between Adeline Street and Nimitz Freeway and preserves the Estuary as a city and regional resource. This plan calls for parks, open spaces and shoreline access points linked by a a landscaped promenade that will allow for “recreational uses, environmental enhances, interpretive experiences, visual amenities and significant gather places.” It also promotes Jack London Square as a residential and commercial center and the continued development of industry --specifically the construction and wholesale produce industries-- around Oakland’s port. This plan reflects Oakland’s transportation goals as it calls for bike, pedestrian and transit routes along the waterfront and within the projected growth of the Jack London district. In short, the Estuary Policy Plan designates Oakland’s waterfront land to of mixed-uses including industrial, commercial, residential and open space.
OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION and RECREATION
The OSCAR element contain four focuses: open space (parks, community gardens etc.), conservation (water, air, energy, plant resources etc.), recreation (park uses, operations and funding) and area planning strategies. It promotes the idea that Oakland will become a more liable city if it conserved and was conscious of its natural resources. However, this element also acknowledges that there are economic and physical constraints and therefore calls for innovation and flexibility in implementing OSCAR. Existing open space consists of parks, shoreline, a lake and diverse topography. The plan hopes to preserve these resources and make them more accessible to all of Oakland’s citizens. |
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
In 1994 a Historic Preservation Element was added to the General Plan in order to "use historic preservation to foster economic vitality and quality of life" and to "prevent unnecessary destruction of properties of special historical, cultural, and aesthetic value." The city has identified itself as having a unique stock of “significant older properties” which through preservation can contribute to Oakland’s economy, affordable housing stock, aesthetic and the quality of life. The city is home to the architecture styles of Colonial-Spanish haciendas, Victorians, City Beautiful, Art Deco and more. However, as the plan states the city lacks an efficient system of identifying and preserving such historic buildings. Historic preservation was an afterthought for the city’s planning process and often suffered due to economic and bureaucratic delays.
This element of the general plan suggests an updated property assessment process, preservation incentives and regulations and the integration of historic preservation into the city’s larger movement. In doing so, they hope to increase the quality of live and urban revitalization of once prominent districts, create employment opportunities, retain historic residences that now serve as affordable housing, utilize the buildings’ commercial space and thereby encourage local economic development and enhance the community’s aesthetic value. The resulting vital communities will in turn promote more tourism and economic development.
This element of the general plan suggests an updated property assessment process, preservation incentives and regulations and the integration of historic preservation into the city’s larger movement. In doing so, they hope to increase the quality of live and urban revitalization of once prominent districts, create employment opportunities, retain historic residences that now serve as affordable housing, utilize the buildings’ commercial space and thereby encourage local economic development and enhance the community’s aesthetic value. The resulting vital communities will in turn promote more tourism and economic development.
HOUSING
Oakland must submit 5-year consolidation plans as well as annual performance reports to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The most recent consolidated plan extends from 2010 to 2015 that outlines the following three goals: “to increase the supply of affordable housing for low-income households, create a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunities for lower income households.[8]”
Affordable housing demand in Oakland is very high. Over 22 percent of households are at extremely low-income levels, 14 percent are at low income levels and 15 percent are at moderate income levels. These households suffer from cost burden housing arrangements. In addition Oakland’s special needs populations, such as the elderly, also have housing problems. It is estimated that half of Alameda County’s 12,750 homeless population live in Oakland. Some of these homeless residents suffer from mental or physical illnesses, making it hard for them to make a decent living. The homeless create very specific and difficult affordable housing needs, such as long-term, short-term and/or supportive housing.
The 2010 Consolidated Plan states that the City of Oakland is making progress in most of its meeting its housing goals of:
While there is some progress being made, there are not enough affordable housing units being built by the City of Oakland. The General Plan also acknowledges an issue with the low-quality of many of the available affordable units. As a result, non-profits, developers and community organizations are coming together to establish sustainable, design-oriented and well serviced modern affordable housing.
Affordable housing demand in Oakland is very high. Over 22 percent of households are at extremely low-income levels, 14 percent are at low income levels and 15 percent are at moderate income levels. These households suffer from cost burden housing arrangements. In addition Oakland’s special needs populations, such as the elderly, also have housing problems. It is estimated that half of Alameda County’s 12,750 homeless population live in Oakland. Some of these homeless residents suffer from mental or physical illnesses, making it hard for them to make a decent living. The homeless create very specific and difficult affordable housing needs, such as long-term, short-term and/or supportive housing.
The 2010 Consolidated Plan states that the City of Oakland is making progress in most of its meeting its housing goals of:
- Expansion of the supply of affordable rental housing
- Preservation of the supply of affordable rental housing
- Expansion of the supply of affordable ownership housing
- Expansion of ownership opportunities for First Time Homebuyers
- Improvement of existing housing stock
- Provision of rental assistance for extremely low and low income families
- Provision of supportive housing for seniors and persons with special needs
- Prevention of foreclosures and stabilization of neighborhoods
- Removal of impediments to fair housing
While there is some progress being made, there are not enough affordable housing units being built by the City of Oakland. The General Plan also acknowledges an issue with the low-quality of many of the available affordable units. As a result, non-profits, developers and community organizations are coming together to establish sustainable, design-oriented and well serviced modern affordable housing.
WORKS CITED_____________________________________________________
- City of Oakland California. Oakland Planning Commission. City of Oakland General Plan “Land Use and Transportation Element.” 1998. Accessed February 16, 2013. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/webcontent/oak035267.pdfhtm
- City of Oakland California. Bicycle Master Plan. 2007. Accessed February 20, 2013. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/pwa/documents/report/oak024981.pdf
- City of Oakland California. Oakland Pedestrian Safety Project. Pedestrian Master Plan. November 12, 2002. Accessed February 20, 2013. http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/pedestrian/index.html
- Pedestrian Master Plan.
- Pedestrian Master Plan.
- City of Oakland California. Oakland Planning Commission. City of Oakland General Plan “Estuary Policy Plan.” 1998. Accessed February 16, 2013. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/webcontent/oak035258.pdf
- City of Oakland California. Oakland Planning Commission. City of Oakland General Plan “Open Space, Conservation and Recreation”.1998. Accessed February 16, 2013. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/webcontent/oak035248.pdf
- City of Oakland California. Community and Economic Development Agency. Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. July 1, 2010. Accessed February 16, 2013. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/procedure/dowd009143.pdf
- Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development.