San Pablo Ramble
A public wander imagining more opportunities for social spaces along a East Bay commercial corridor
Date
2019
Location
Berkeley and Oakland, CA
Team
Sara Dean
Benner Boswell
Alex Kosachek
Annika Bastacky
Miguel Novelo
San Pablo Avenue is a blue highway and historic service corridor running the length of the East Bay--including through Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, and San Pablo, California. It has been designated as a housing and transportation corridor by Alameda county, and is going through a huge development cycle as garages, gas stations, and parking lots turn into condos, apartment buildings, and assisted living facilities.
Public space has not been part of this development plan. This project engaged the public space of the street--sidewalks, parking spaces, stripmall parking lots--with mobile furniture to engage more directly with the questions of neighborhood development.