Year: 2016

Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza

Posted on By Steven Donaldson
Our Work

The Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza Improvement Project is one of the largest transportation projects in the works for Berkeley.

The project application has been submitted and BART, in coordination with the City of Berkeley, has begun the design process. BART has already hosted a workshop for community input and we strive to keep our members up-to-date and involved.

We encourage you to review the ideas put forth in the February 3 workshop and let us know what you think. Livable Berkeley and several of our partner organizations including the Downtown Berkeley Association and Berkeley Design Advocates have written letters with positions on design and program elements.

This new plaza can truly change and improve the image of Downtown Berkeley. We believe the revitalized plaza can create a beautiful and vibrant community gathering place for all of Berkeley.

If you like receiving updates on the future of projects in Berkeley, and want to help out, sign up for our emails!

Open Letter to the Berkeley City Council

Sunday Streets Berkeley

Posted on By Steven Donaldson
Our Work

With the City of Berkeley as a financial partner, Berkeley can join the Open Streets movement along with 70 other cities in the U.S., bringing the long-term community benefits of this exciting event to Berkeley.

What is Sunday Streets?

Sunday Streets (also called “Open Streets”) closes streets to automobile traffic for a day so that people may use the space for just about any activity other than driving. The streets become parks as foot traffic replaces car traffic. People bike, jog and dance, meet up with friends, meet someone new, and play. Everyone from businesses and community organizations to musicians and artists use the space creatively, engaging the public and providing spontaneity and discovery. People get out and connect with their community in a transformative way. This temporary public space inspires creativity and change for the better, on that day – and beyond. It sounds simple, yet it really is very new and exciting.

Sponsorship Opportunities

See pictures of Sunday Streets Berkeley on October 14, 2012

Promoting Economic Development, Public Health, Car-Free Transportation, and More

Open Streets are increasingly common in cities seeking new and fun ways to achieve economic, environmental, social, and public health goals. These goals are shared across business, civic and community groups.

Open Streets offer new economic opportunities for commercial districts. In a recent study of an Open Streets event in St. Louis, 73% of attendees spent money at a restaurant or store along the route, 68% became aware of a store or restaurant that was new to them, and 94% responded “Yes – Positively” to the question: “Does Open Streets change your feelings about the city?”

In city after city, initial opponents turn into big supporters after experiencing Open Streets, all vying to host the event in their neighborhoods.

Sunday Streets Berkeley – October 14, 2012 – Downtown to North Shattuck

Almost 20 blocks of Shattuck Avenue are proposed to be car-free. Except for major arterials, intersections on Shattuck will be closed to east-west traffic crossing Shattuck. Programming will showcase the Berkeley Arts District.

Sunday Streets Berkeley will be a celebration of local businesses and organizations, especially along the route. Storefronts will be unobstructed, and business owners will be encouraged to promote commerce and visibility by setting out seating on the street, hosting activities, and otherwise inviting interest and community.

The Sunday Streets Berkeley working committee consists of the Office of Mayor Tom Bates, Councilmember Jesse Arreguin, Livable Berkeley, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, the Downtown Berkeley Association, and the North Shattuck Association.

Email your elected officials and let them know you support Sunday Streets Berkeley! 

Mayor Tom Bates: mayor@cityofberkeley.info

Council Members

Linda Maio: lmaio@cityofberkeley.info

Darryl Moore: dmoore@cityofberkeley.info

Max Anderson: manderson@cityofberkeley.info

Jesse Arreguin: jarreguin@cityofberkeley.info

Laurie Capitelli: lcapitelli@cityofberkeley.info

Susan Wengraf: swengraf@cityofberkeley.info

Kriss Worthington: kworthington@cityofberkeley.info

Gordon Wozniak: gwozniak@cityofberkeley.info

Parklets

Posted on By Steven Donaldson
Activities

For this event Livable Berkeley sponsored a “Pop-Up Parklet,” which was used and enjoyed throughout the day as a practical demonstration of how parklets can be successful in the City of Berkeley. Our “Pop-Up Parklet” meets all of the requirements for a sidewalk grade, wheelchair accessible parklet and can be set up again. The parklet, in use, can be viewed in the StreetsFilm video about Sunday Streets Berkeley, and in the photo below.

Pop-Up Parklet at Philz Coffee, Shattuck and Cedar Streets, Sunday Streets Berkeley, Oct. 14, 2012 (Photo: Alan Tobey) Livable Berkeley believes a Pilot Parklet program will be successful in Berkeley. We are fortunate to have a developed parklets program from San Francisco to build on, which is designed to minimize red tape and speed approvals. Still wondering what a parklet is exactly? How does it work? Who pays for it? Read the Berkeleyside article on North Berkeley merchants’ interest in parklets, and the excerpts below from Parklets: Experiments in Public Open Space, a Public Interest Design Publication.
A parklet is an urban intervention to create more public space. Parklets function as public space, much like a traditional park, but rely on the stewardship of a sponsoring business. Parklets are built in the public right-of-way, typically repurposing two adjacent parking spaces, shifting their use from the storage of cars to pedestrian-centered public space. A sponsoring business responds to a city-issued Parklet Request for Proposal (RFP) with a schematic design. Once approved the parklet receives a 1-year renewable permit. Parklets are generally seen by city officials as semi-temporary urban experiments. Yes, as part of the design and permit process, parklets are created to function as public space. Businesses that sponsor parklets are not allowed to use them as extensions of their business nor evict anyone from their parklet, unless they are doing something illegal. Parklets fall into the category of privately owned public open spaces.

MORE:

Letter to the Transportation Commission (May 16, 2013)

Email your elected officials and let them know you support Sunday Streets Berkeley!

Mayor Tom Bates: mayor@cityofberkeley.info
 Linda Maio: lmaio@cityofberkeley.info Darryl Moore: dmoore@cityofberkeley.info Max Anderson: manderson@cityofberkeley.info Jesse Arreguin: jarreguin@cityofberkeley.info Laurie Capitelli: lcapitelli@cityofberkeley.info Susan Wengraf: swengraf@cityofberkeley.info Kriss Worthington: kworthington@cityofberkeley.info Gordon Wozniak: gwozniak@cityofberkeley.info

Livable Berkeley is a local non-profit organization that advocates for equitable and sustainable development in the City of Berkeley. We champion projects and measures that protect the environment, promote equity, and enhance transportation, housing, and job choices. Community investment is key in our sustainable future, and parklets demonstrate the City leadership’s commitment to create a vibrant street life, support local businesses, and promote stewardship of our community.