Downtown Oakland Specific Plan Community Input

Community Stakeholders

The Downtown Oakland Specific Plan community process kicked off with a design charrette (a ten-day hands-on workshop and open studio) open to the public in fall of 2015, and continued with community meetings, surveys, and smaller meetings with community organizations, neighborhood groups and individual stakeholders through plan adoption in 2024. The City made an effort to engage all Oakland communities in the Downtown Oakland Specific Plan planning process - those living both inside and outside of downtown.

Additionally, the following groups provided input into the Plan:

• Community Advisory Group. The Community Advisory Group is comprised of representative from a variety of fields who provide technical knowledge on issues such as urban design and real estate development, feasibility, as well as larger housing organizations and business improvement districts. Additionally, the group includes representatives of the local neighborhood groups, artist community, as well as youth, health and advocacy organizations to help direct the policies and decisions of Plan Downtown. This single group replaces the former "Technical Advisory Group" and the "Community Stakeholder Group."
• Targeted Stakeholder Groups. During the design charrette, community representatives participated in focus groups targeted to specific topics. Representatives of communities and organizations addressing these topics have been included in other meetings throughout the process. Topics include:
  • Housing (affordable & market-rate)
  • Transportation
  • Arts and culture
  • Youth
  • People with disabilities
  • Local business

To share your thoughts, please email the team at plandowntownoakland@oaklandca.gov.

Community Input

The City compiled and summarized thousands of comments received from the public, including boards and commissions. Analysis of these comments helped inform each iteration of the specific plan. 

Final Draft Plan and Zoning Amendments (2022-2024)

• Comment Letters Received on Final Draft Plan and Zoning Amendments(PDF, 5MB)

Draft Plan (August 2019)

• Draft Plan Comments Summary(PDF, 426KB)
• Draft Plan Meeting Notes(PDF, 504KB)
• Draft Plan Comments Spreadsheet(PDF, 3MB)

Preliminary Draft Plan (January 2019)

• Summary of Preliminary Draft Plan Community Comments(PDF, 813KB)
• Preliminary Draft Plan Community Meeting Notes(PDF, 461KB)

Older Adults and People With Disabilities Survey Results

• Accessibility Survey Results Summary(PDF, 4MB)

Creative Solutions Labs & Neighborhood Design Sessions (January - February 2018)

• Public Input Report (February 2018)(PDF, 15MB)

Youth Input from Y-PLAN, Youth Summit, and Youth Service Providers (2016-2018)

• Summary of Youth Input(PDF, 452KB)

Social Equity Working Group Meetings (July - August 2017)

• Housing, Affordability, Jobs, Training, and Economic Opportunity(PDF, 99KB)
• Arts and Culture(PDF, 77KB)
• Streets, Connectivity, and Built Environment(PDF, 95KB)
• Sustainability, Health, Safety, and Open Space and Recreation(PDF, 93KB)

Expanded Equity Community Engagement (Spring 2017)

• 2017 Community Engagement Summary Report(PDF, 2MB)

Mobile Mapping (August 2016-2018)

• Streetwyze mobile mapping

Alternatives Report (January - August 2016)

• Comments Memo summarizing public comments on the Plan Alternatives Report(PDF, 1MB)
• Spreadsheet of public comments on the Plan Alternatives Report(PDF, 3MB)

Project Kickoff and Existing Conditions Research (September 2015 - January 2016)

• Targeted stakeholder meeting notes (Nov. 2015 - Jan. 2016)(PDF, 4MB)
• Speak Up, Oakland survey results
• Spreadsheet of comments received via email, hard copy surveys and letters(PDF, 72KB)
• Collection of notes and feedback from Charrette & Open Studio
• Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) student input on Downtown Oakland(PDF, 14MB)
• Historical sights along the 14th Street Black Arts Movement Cultural and Economic District(PDF, 6MB)

Oakland School for the Arts Student Input