ue staff: in depth
Terri O'Connor, a graduate student at UC Berkeley working on a dual degree in urban design and transportation planning, joined Urban Ecology for the summer of 2005. Terri was hired to analyze the viability of 5th Avenue as a link for nearby neighborhoods to new waterfront development along the Oakland Estuary.
Where did you grow up?
Pembroke, Massachusetts. It's a suburb 40 minutes south of Boston.
Did you walk, bike, or get driven to school?
I took the big yellow bus, but I was driven as soon as my friends were old enough.
What brought you to a non-profit like Urban Ecology?
I was intrigued by the opportunity to work on an interesting urban design project in a low-income and underserved neighborhood.
What specific assets does Oakland have to work with in terms of its waterfront?
- Its underlying, yet forgotten, maritime history;
- The potential connection via the Bay Trail and the Embarcadero, already popular with runners and cyclists;
- The tremendous investment that Oakland has already made to bring people to the waterfront via Jack London Square;
- The waterfront itself is a unique natural resource that so few cities possess. Oaklanders just need a reason to come and a variety of ways to get there.
On the flip side, what are the biggest challenges facing Oakland as it attempts to revitalize its waterfront?
Residents from Oakland can be drawn to the waterfront, but it will take adequate open space, jobs, a variety of retail opportunities, and affordable housing. Oakland will be challenged to ensure that new development meets those requirements. Also, public transportation to the waterfront must be considered, because without it many Oakland residents will have no access at all.
What role can Urban Ecology play in reshaping 5th Avenue?
Someone or something needs to guide the "visioning" process for 5 th Avenue. None of the current players are motivated enough to plan for 5th Avenue's future. Urban Ecology has an opportunity to connect the public and private sectors with the voice of nearby neighborhoods. The organization has strong ties to Oakland community groups and experience in fostering community driven planning processes.
What's your biggest environmental vice?
I subscribe to the SF Chronicle...lots of paper to recycle. Or would it be, gulp, my car?But I don't commute with it...I take the bus!
What are you reading now?
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Ulloa. It's an amazing book about the healer or curandera, Teresa Ulloa, in revolutionary Mexico.
What do you dislike the most about the world of transportation planning?
People do not see the value of public transportation as a vital public service. It is the first to get funding and service slashed - fares are raised, schedules reduced, and routes eliminated. All the while the true social and economic cost of driving is not being fully borne by the driving public. There is a fundamental disconnect here. Don't get me started!
If you could institute one land use or transportation reform in California, what would it be?
How about 3?
- Consolidation of regional transportation agencies to foster effective regional transportation planning;
- Congestion pricing for all toll facilities and HOV lanes where congestion/market demand merits it; and
- A bus fare structure based on distance traveled.
OK, now that Urban Ecology changed your life this summer, what are your plans for the future?
Ugh, that's a loaded question! One more year of school, then it's off to change the world one streetscape at a time.
Terri's Key Findings for 5th Avenue
- The density of the Eastlake and San Antonio neighborhoods lying just to the northeast of 5th Avenue make up a large potential "marketplace" for 5th Avenue.
- The existing circulation patterns along 5th Avenue confirm that this corridor is not yet ready for access to the waterfront. The flow of pedestrians and bicyclists southeast on 5th Avenue ends at East 8th Avenue due to dangerous railroad crossing and intersections, as well as industrial land uses.
- 5th Avenue can easily accommodate more pedestrians and bicyclists without impeding the flow of traffic. The width of 5th Avenue is 80 feet -- flexible enough to reduce the size of traffic lanes while adding bike lines, traffic calming devices, and additional safety measures.
- The City of Oakland, BART, and Peralta College own the unutilized land southwest of East 10th Street. Getting all of the "players" to agree to a revitalization plan for this area will be vital to linking new waterfront development with existing neighborhoods.
