Tag: Bay Area

Why Build a Parklet?

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40th St Parklet, Oakland-from streetThey’re called parklets but they’re often more like outdoor café dining areas. These sidewalk extensions are parklets because of their roots. In 2005, the clever folks at ReBar had a plan to take back some of the space reserved for vehicles and turn parking spaces into little parks, or parklets. They can be used for any public use: galleries, bike parking, space to relax, but they are frequently used as café seating.

To take over a couple of parking spaces, most cities require a permit, an annual fee, neighbors’ buy-in, and a decent design. Parklets are privately funded and maintained but they’re public open space and accessible to everyone. You don’t have to buy a cup of coffee to hang out. Parklets are temporary – they exist as long as the host maintains the permit and the city thinks it’s a benefit to the community. As such, parklets are a form of tactical urbanism or urban prototyping. I’ll discuss that movement in a future post.

The remarkable thing about parklets is they are a cost-effective form of placemaking. Everyone wins:

  • The host usually enjoys economic rewards.
  • The city is able to activate streets at little cost.
  • The public benefits from vibrant outdoor spaces.

What more could you ask for? Are parklets popping up in your city? The ones shown here are in my home town: Oakland, California.

Oakland City Center Walk

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There-Oakland City CenterCity Center Walk MapThe California Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) is hosting a conference in Oakland this weekend and I’ll be there. Well, I’ll be here because I live and work in Oakland. I’ve traveled to conferences before and they’re often located in areas that aren’t very walkable. I need my walk. As a result, I wait at crossing signals for ridiculous lengths of time, hike past acres of surface parking lots, and look longingly into dark coffee houses that are closed on weekends.

The good news: The conference is located right in the heart of our vibrant downtown and I know my way around. For all Oakland Convention Center visitors this or any weekend, here is an easy 1.25 mile walk designed for you. This route is best enjoyed 8-5, Monday-Friday because it takes you through the lobbies of two impressive public buildings. If you need your walk on the weekend, you can find your way around the blocks. At least the coffee shops will be open.

You needn’t worry about safety when walking in downtown Oakland during daylight hours. I do it every day. Just remember to pay more attention to your surroundings than to your phone and don’t leave your rental car parked on the street at night.

Frank H. Ogawa WayFrank Ogawa Plaza
Start walking north up Broadway from the Oakland Convention Center. After crossing 14th Street, make a slight left so you’re walking on the left side of the Lionel Wilson Building (originally the First National Bank Building). Now you’re in Frank Ogawa Plaza, center of all the “Occupy Oakland” hubub a few years ago. As you can see, the lawn has been replaced and the plaza is acting as a true town square. The large coast live oak in the center of the lawn is the Jack London Oak, planted in 1917. Representations of this particular oak can be found all over town, from the city logo to Oaklandish goods. This would be a good time to visit the Oaklandish Store Old Victorian and New State Bldgat 1444 Broadway. The sculpture near San Pablo Street is titled Vitality and was created by Oakland sculptor, Bruce Beasley.

Elihu M. Harris State Office Building
Make a slight left past the raised lawn, and take the walkway on the north side of the City Hall. From here, you catch your first glimpse of the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building. After crossing Clay Street, enter the glass atrium and head out the other side. The colored glass circles in the upper walkway guardrails always make me smile. Continue along 15th Street to Martin Luther King Way where you’ll turn left after crossing the street.

Old Main Oakland LibraryOriginal Oakland Main Library and First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Enjoy views of the tops of downtown high-rises as you walk to 14th Street where you’ll cross the street and turn right. I have a soft spot for Carnegie Libraries. The African American Museum and Library on the corner of 14th and MLK Way was opened in 1902 as the Oakland Main Library. Designed in the Italian Renaissance style by architects Bliss and Faville, it received the second California Carnegie grant of $50,000. As you continue down 14th Street, you’ll find the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, completed in 1891.

Preservation ParkPreservation Park
Turn left at the corner of 14th and Castro Streets and again at 12th Street. Pass through the portal into Preservation Park.This beautiful Victorian neighborhood was saved from demolition by public/private partnerships. The five Victorian homes north of 13th Street are in their original locations and the eleven remaining houses were moved here to save them from demolition when the freeway was constructed. The Parisian fountain in the center of the roundabout was salvaged from another home site in Oakland. Preservation Park is home to non-profit organizations and is available for public and private events. I recommend a stop at 150929 Federal Bldg bridge from 13th-smlthe interpretive exhibit at the MLK entrance to the park.

Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building
When you arrive at the fountain, you’re at the end of 13th Street which will take you all the way back to Broadway. After crossing MLK Way, the walkway leads you to Three Figures by Stephen De Staebler. The sculptures sit and stand watch over the amphitheater built against the wall of a parking structure. From here, you can see the sky bridge of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building. If you’re fortunate to be here on a nice day, the enormous main doors will be open and you can see through them to City Center. If not, City Center with Tribune Bldgmake use of the doors on either side of the rotunda. The lobby is open M-F from 6am until 11pm.

Oakland City Center
After crossing Clay Street, you’ve arrived in Oakland City Center, a privately owned outdoor retail space with connections to BART, Frank Ogawa Plaza, and the high rise office buildings surrounding it. The sculpture at the center of the space by Roselyn Mazzilli, is titled There, in reference to the often misinterpreted line about Oakland by Gertrude Stein, “There is no there there”. This is one of my regular walks because of the pedestrian focus, the outdoor activity, the art, and the architecture. Much of the area is a product of a redevelopment plan started in the 1960s. It is a vibrant part of the City but I wonder what it would be today if the original street grid, historic apartment buildings, and ground-floor retail were still in place. If you think Downtown Oakland is exciting, read about Uptown Oakland!

Sources:
Frank Ogawa Plaza
Elihu M. Harris State Office Building
African American Museum Library at Oakland
First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Preservation Park
Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building
Oakland City Center

Please click on a photo to start the slideshow.

Longfellow Neighborhood, Oakland

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Victorian sisters viewed through transmission lines
Victorian sisters viewed through transmission lines

This week, my office is moving from the Longfellow neighborhood in Oakland. Each day I take a walk through the area and, in the three years I’ve been here, Longfellow has become a good friend. In March, I wrote a post about the vibrance and cultural diversity of Longfellow.

Sunflower FenceToday, I want to show you the Longfellow I’ve known. Longfellow is a predominantly African-american neighborhood, tucked into a corner created by two freeways. Its economic demographic ranges from poor to working class.

This is mainly a photo essay but there are moments and people I never captured on film. I witnessed more than one memorial to a neighbor who died too young and for no good reason. There are always people outdoors, walking, riding bikes, or hanging out in front of garages. The air often smells of pot. People in Longfellow are kind to me, asking how I’m doing and calling me “Honey.”

Vacant Lot

There are a few things that show up in the photos that I’d like you to notice:

  • Poor neighborhoods tend to have excessive overhead transmission lines.
  • People in disadvantaged neighborhoods live with a lot of billboards.
  • The large quantity of liquor stores is exceeded by the number of churches.
  • There are pockets of creativity, pride, and beauty throughout the neighborhood.

These photos were taken over the last three years. Many of the things photographed are gone now. Monday morning, I’ll be gone, too. I’ll come back to visit but I’ll miss being part of the Longfellow neighborhood. Please click on a photo below to start a slideshow.

Uptown Oakland keeps getting better.

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Uptown Oakland-Latham SquareNamed a Great Neighborhood by the American Planning Association, Oakland’s Uptown continues to soar. Last Saturday, I took a walk with the California Planning Foundation to find out why. The conversation started with a description of Jerry Brown’s 10K plan, developed when he was mayor of Oakland (1999-2007). His vision was to bring 10,000 new residents to downtown and Jack London Square and renew the historic Arts and Entertainment district in Uptown. As we walked through the neighborhood, we learned about how Oakland made it happen, and saw for ourselves how successfully the plan is playing out.

Uptown Oakland-Fox TheaterYou’ve probably heard about Art Murmur, a giant street party that takes place in Uptown on the First Friday of every month. You’ve likely been to the excellent music venues, restaurants, and night clubs that have been proliferating for the past several years. You’ve noticed the new transit-oriented housing developments, the new Art Park, and even some successful retail businesses like Oaklandish. Here are a few things you may not have known:

OSA
One of our Governor’s ideas was to create two charter schools and bring one of them to Uptown. Before a space was ready, Oakland School for the Arts operated out of a tent, in a parking lot between 18th and 19th Streets adjacent to San Pablo Avenue. Today, it shares a home with the historic Fox Theater. The school is a success story in its own right but it has also enlivened the Uptown neighborhood by bringing youth to the streets, venues, and parks during weekdays.

Oakland Floral Depot Building & Flora Restaurant
The Oakland Floral Depot building houses the restaurant, Flora.


Historic Preservation
When the Loma Prieta earthquake hit Oakland in 1989, there was little financial incentive to demolish damaged buildings and start over. This turned out to be a boon for the beautiful, historic buildings that have been restored. Lack of interest in Uptown properties gave the Oakland Heritage Alliance and the City a chance to figure out ways to save the original buildings or facades. Many of the buildings are designed in the Art Deco style, and faced with glazed terra-cotta.

The City also provides matching grants to businesses in designated areas to renovate their exteriors. Free architectural assistance and 50 percent matching grants of between $10,000 and $30,000 are available to property and business owners for eligible projects.

The Capwell Building
This is a story of anticipated success. After the earthquake damaged the Beaux-Arts style department store, the retrofit included covering the original windows and terra-cotta cladding with concrete. The building that housed Sears since 1996, was purchased by Lane Partners who began renovation last November. The new design promises to bring back the windows and reopen the interior BART entrance. The ground floor will feature restaurants and foodie retail while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are reserved for tech tenants.

Uptown Bike StationBike Station
A Bike Station has opened up near the 19th Street BART entrance. It has free, attended parking for 130 bikes from 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays. They offer bike repair and tune-ups as well as basic bike accessories. If you have too much fun Uptown to ride your bike home, you can leave it overnight for a $5 fee.

17th Street Gateway
The 17th Street entrance to the 19th Street BART station features new artwork inspired by the Oakland Hills, San Francisco Bay, flashy auto paint, and the blue tile of the station. The sculpture, Shifting Topographies, by Dan Corson, is painted with color-shifting paint that changes hue depending on the angle of the sun. At one end of the station, emergency ventilation shafts are disguised with topographic patterns on blue mirrored glass. Shapes of light are projected on the sculpture at night assuring that this a work of art that never stands still.

Never standing still is a good description of the whole Uptown neighborhood: It just keeps getting better.

Click on a photo to start the slideshow.

Shipping Container Village at The Yard

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The YardThe Giants are opening a new party pop-up today, across McCovey Cove from AT&T Park. It’s called The Yard. I asked my friend, the designer and manufacturer of the destination’s shipping container buildings, why he wasn’t mentioned in John King’s article in the SF Chronicle. In his South African accent, Jerry commented, “White collars versus blue.”

SF MadeI met Jerry Jameson three years ago when I started working in the building he shares with my employer. He was an architect with a dream of becoming a manufacturer. Jerry doesn’t necessarily take the path of least resistance.

While working on a project for a Silicon Valley firm, I had the pleasure of working directly with Jerry and his business partner, Martha Trela, CEO of their company, UrbanBloc. Jerry designed two shipping container buildings for the outdoor space, a cafe and a restroom. The client decided not to go forward with the project but I was able to get a better idea about what goes into making a building from a shipping container: how to anchor it, make it universally accessible, connect it to the sanitary sewer, and a thousand other issues I wouldn’t normally have considered.

Bike ShopUrbanBloc opened a manufacturing plant here, in the East Bay, and I didn’t see Jerry for a couple of months while he and his team built the modular units for The Yard. I’d have loved seeing the trucks carrying the buildings across the Bay Bridge. The schedule was so tight, they built a sleeping room in the plant where they could grab 3-4 hours of sleep while working around the clock. They lived like this for nine weeks. Jerry said it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.

It’s a remarkable thing. There’s no good reason for UrbanBloc to slide under San Francisco’s design radar but now there’s another good reason to go to a Giants game.

Photo Sources:
http://www.urbanbloc.net
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/03/18/what-to-eat-and-drink-at-the-yard-at-mission-rock-opening-this-week
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/place/article/Urban-chic-shipping-pods-catch-on-in-Giants-6140692.php

I’d love to hear what you think.

Eighteen Gates

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I have a fascination with gates. They’re doors but when you pass through them, you’re not indoors. What could be better? This week, I give you Gates of the East Bay. All of these photos were taken in Oakland, Berkeley or Emeryville. They’re intended to inspire your own design or cause you to pause and appreciate how much thought some people put into the way they welcome us into their outdoors. Click on an image to start a slideshow. Which is your favorite? I’d love to hear from you.

Berkeley Rocks

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Indian Rock, Berkeley

You really have to see Berkeley’s rocks. Ancient rock outcroppings are not so unusual in California, but the way North Berkeley’s neighborhoods integrated the boulders into the built landscape is pretty awe-inspiring.

Indian Rocks and Four Parks MapIndian Rock
A few weeks ago, we took another walk featured in Hidden Walks in the East Bay and Marin, by Stephen Altschuler: Indian Rocks and Four Parks. This one’s become a favorite. The walk starts at the northeast corner of The Alameda and Solano Avenue, on the Indian Rock Path. Indian Rock is an ancient volcanic remnant, composed of Northbrae rhyolite. In 1917, the Mason-McDuffie Real Estate Company donated park parcels around five rock formations to the City of Berkeley, including Indian Rock Park.

John Hinkel Park
After passing through Mortar Rock Park, and walking down San Diego Road, we find ourselves in John Hinkel Park. This park always makes me feel nostalgic for a time when parks were places set in nature, places to explore, places to have a woodland adventure. This seven-acre park was donated to the City in 1919 by John and Ada Hinkel. Before donating the park, the Hinkels added a playground, trails, a huge stone fireplace, and a clubhouse, designed by John Gregg. During the depression, the Civil Works Administration built the stone terraced amphitheater, designed by Vernon Dean. It was home to the California Shakespeare Festival from 1934-1991.

The Great Stoneface Park
Our route leads us down residential streets and hidden paths to the aptly named Thousand Oaks neighborhood. All of the neighborhoods through which we pass feature custom Arts & Crafts homes, many designed by famous architects: Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, and Henry Gutterson.

Our next stop is the Great Stoneface Park featuring another massive boulder, an inviting lawn, oak trees, and a handsome concrete urn. When the Thousand Oaks neighborhood was built, about twenty monumental urns, in the style of Maxfield Parrish, were placed along the streets and walking paths. After a hundred years, only one remains, at the base of Indian Trail. The one in the park is a replica commissioned by neighbors who have organized to recreate this stunning and dramatic tradition.

In Harmony with Nature
The Indian Trail is one of the most rustic and lovely of the hidden paths, with its canopy of oak branches and gates leading to the secret gardens of North Berkeley. The fundamental tenet of the Arts and Crafts movement was to build in harmony with nature. The neighborhoods we pass through blend artistically into the existing landscape. The following quote appeared in an article, “California as a Place for Homes” for the July 1915 issue of California Magazine, by Mark Daniels, the landscape architect who helped layout the Thousand Oaks neighborhood and designed many of the parks and paths we’ve enjoyed on this walk:

“Consider a spot upon the slope of the foothills, where the ground is rendered unavailable for agricultural pursuits by the steep inclines or by the frequent outcroppings of rock, but where gnarled oaks spread their distorted branches and serpent-like roots on every hand. Here is an ideal location for landscape architecture.”

Sources:
Hidden Walks in the East Bay & Marin by Stephen Altschuler.
Berkeley Rocks: Building with Nature by Jonathan Chester and Dave Weinstein.
The historic plaques in Indian Rock Park, John Hinkel Park, and the Great Stoneface Park, City of Berkeley.

Art, Anti-Fracking & Asian Food

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Anti-Fracking DemonstrationDensity, diversity, and being  part of a larger urban context enlivens Oakland and other Bay Area Cities and makes them exciting places to live and visit. Saturday, Jan and I skipped the Grand Lake Farmers Market and chose to walk around the lake, enjoy an exhibit at the museum, and pick up some take-out Asian food for dinner. So what? Even ordinary activities can be extraordinary in a vibrant city.

One Love and the activistsIt was raining on and off, and I decided I didn’t really need to bring my camera along. Great idea. There’s never anything interesting going on in Oakland. Remind me to always bring a camera, or a phone, or something with which to shoot a bloody photo.

Anti-Fracking Demonstration
We were about five minutes into the walk when we noticed thousands of demonstrators heading in our direction. Before we could read their banners, Jan remembered that an anti-fracking march was scheduled for Saturday. I know you know what hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is, but I can’t resist describing it: Frackers drill deep into the earth to inject a huge amount of fluid at high enough pressure to fracture subterranean rocks and release oil or natural gas for our consumption. Even without all the facts, does that sound like a good idea? I don’t think so.

1005220-OMCA-SignThe protest was held in Oakland because Governor Jerry Brown makes his home here and the point of the march was to beseech him to change his policies on fracking. My hypothesis is the demonstration was also held in Oakland because this town is known for being sympathetic to environmental causes and for being able to draw from nearby communities who feel the same. Energized communities have personality.

Oakland Museum of California
After converging with the crowd at the southern end of the lake, we headed further south to the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) to check out the exhibit: Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California. Now, I’m one of those oafs who doesn’t like spending more than an hour or so at a time in a museum – but I really like that first hour. That’s one of the reasons a museum membership works for me. We support our local museum and get to stop in whenever we want.

Arnold-FertileGround-2Fertile Ground features the California collections of both SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and OMCA. The exhibit guides us through four creative communities active in Northern California from the 1930s to the present:

  • The San Francisco New Deal Muralists lead by Diego Rivera (1930s)
  • Postwar at the California School of Fine Arts (1940s-50s)
  • The New Art Department at UC Davis (1960s-1970s)
  • The Mission Scene (1990s-Today)

It was a stunning and educational hour. The art is rich with diversity and the high-quality venue makes sense in a an urban location that draws users from around the Bay.

lin jiaLin Jia Asian Kitchen
After leaving the museum, we completed our lake loop and ended up on Lakeshore Avenue at Lin Jia Asian Kitchen. You might think it would make sense to call in our order before we arrive at the restaurant, (even though you know I didn’t bring my phone with me – if I did, I could have taken some photos) but that would deprive us of the opportunity to watch the chefs prepare our meal. We like to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen, order a couple of Tsingtaos when we order the food, and watch the woks in action. We appreciate the high-quality, organic, and sustainable ingredients as well as the excellent preparation. In his review, Michael Bauer describes the experience as, “telling the story of one family’s move from Asia to America.” We’re sure glad they’re here. We’re sure glad we’re here.

As an urban designer, I want to make better places, but some places are lively without help from designers. They evolve into vibrant places with the help of their culturally rich communities. Any thoughts on what makes a great place to live?

Sources:

All of the Anti-Fracking Demonstration photos: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Anti-fracking-demonstrators-march-through-Oakland-6068760.php

The Fertile Ground Exhibit photo and background info: http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/fertile-ground-art-and-community-california

The Lin Jia photo and review: http://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/diningout/article/Lin-Jia-Asian-Kitchen-family-s-compelling-journey-2327034.php