SEAM

SEAM

YEAR : 2021

LOCATION : WEST OAKLAND, CA

PROJECT : COURSEWORK

TYPOLOGY : URBAN DESIGN

INSTRUCTOR : JULIA GRINKRUG, CHRISTOPHER ROACH

TEAM PARTNER : GEADA ALAGHA

West Oakland is facing major development because of the new BART station and the new stadium, these new projects will most likely alter the way the area is now, there are already projects in action of new apartment high-rises that would potentially increase the entire property value of the neighborhood, leading to gentrification and displacement. Before the new development changes the values, programs and people that are foreign to West Oakland, our project proposes to prepare and revitalize the cultural "ground" of the area, to create value by highlighting existing communal and educational programs, connecting programmatically with organizations and businesses on both sides of the highway, and create new values by amplifying and multiplying existing initiatives for the community.

The heart of this project is to create an interconnected infrastructure that reduces the fragmentation of the neighborhood and create social spaces for the community to come together. The existing resources that West Oakland provides the community are prominent, however due to the fragmentation caused by the corrupt history of redlining and urban renewal, these resources are scattered and hard to reach. This project proposes to create a big scale skywalk connecting the north and south side of West Oakland, as well as small scaled skywalks to establish a continuous pedestrian-friendly path throughout the project's focus area, broadening and blending with the existing sidewalks, seaming together the existing neighborhood assets.

The project's vision is to create an environment where everyday life is visible - where the community can see itself, get together, learn from each other and get involved in social and cultural events/programs, at the same time addressing the urgency of environmental and food-access injustices that have long tormented West Oakland.

The project also focuses on sustainable building for proposed structures, supplying spaces for small businesses and local artists to thrive. With the skywalk as a civic overseeing platform , our proposal aims to convert the industrial edge of the neighborhood into a thriving cultural hub that celebrates the industrial legacy as the former economical underpinning of the local community, while enabling it to grow into a more significant civic core.