Resilient Oakland - It Takes a Town to Thrive

100 Resilient Cities
Posted on: 10/27/2016 - Updated on: 2/28/2020

Posted by

Jose Gonzalez

Published

Abstract

Oakland is one of the most diverse, creative and progressive urban coastal cities in the United States.

As a major city in the Bay Area, Oakland also sits within one of the most prosperous economic growth engines in the world. The benefits of this growth, as acutely felt in Oakland, are not equitably distributed. Today, particularly among low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, Oakland faces rapidly rising income inequality and housing displacement, disparate unemployment and education rates, and chronic violence. Aging housing stock and public infrastructure challenged by seismic and climate risk further threaten Oakland residents, particularly our most vulnerable communities. Resilient Oakland embraces Oakland’s strengths while tackling the daily and chronic stresses facing Oaklanders today and better preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.

Resilient Oakland is not a finished product or a plan in the traditional sense. Rather, this playbook is a call to action. Resilient Oakland sets forth the work we need to do to begin modernizing our City by integrating processes, policies and programs that achieve greater impact.

The Resilient Oakland playbook is a holistic set of strategies and actions to tackle systemic, interdependent challenges. This includes equitable access to quality education and jobs, housing security, community safety and vibrant infrastructure, which will better prepare us for shocks like earthquakes and climate change impacts.

Through this work, we are changing the way we do government. And in the process, we are making our institutions—both local and regional—more resilient and responsive to whatever may come our way.