Oakland (IPA: /ˈoʊklənd/), founded in
1852, is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California[1] and
the county seat of Alameda County.
Oakland is located in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area, the
sixth most populous metropolitan
area in the United States. Based on 2006 statistical data, Oakland is the 44th-largest city in the United States.
Oakland is a major West Coast port, and is home to several
Fortune 500 companies including Kaiser Permanente
and Clorox, as well as corporate headquarters for national retailers like Dreyer's and Cost Plus World Markets.[2]
Rand McNally named Oakland as having the best weather in the United States. According to
the U.S. 2000 census, Oakland and Long Beach, California are the most ethnically
diverse cities in the United States, with over 150 languages spoken in Oakland.[3] Attractions include Jack London Square, the
Oakland Museum of California, Lake
Merritt and Chinatown.
History
Depiction of Oakland in 1900.
The earliest recorded inhabitants were the Huchiun tribe,[4] belonging to a linguistic grouping later called the Ohlone (a Miwok word meaning "western people"). In Oakland, they were heavily
concentrated around Lake Merritt and Temescal
Creek, a stream which enters the San Francisco Bay at Emeryville.
Oakland, along with the rest of California, was claimed for the Spanish king by explorers from New
Spain in 1772. In the early 19th century, the area which later became Oakland (along with most of the East Bay), was granted to Luís María
Peralta by the Spanish royal government for his Rancho San
Antonio. The grant was confirmed by the successor Mexican republic upon its independence from Spain. The area of the ranch
that is today occupied by the downtown and extending over into the adjacent part of Alameda (originally not an island, but a peninsula), included a woodland of oak trees. This area was called encinal by the Peraltas, a Spanish word which means "oak grove", the origin
of the later city's name. Upon his death in 1842, Peralta divided his land among his four sons. Most of Oakland fell within the
shares given to Antonio Maria and Vicente. They would open the land to settlement by American settlers, loggers, European
whalers, and fur-traders.
Full-scale settlement and development occurred following California being conquered by the United States during the
Mexican-American War, and the California
Gold Rush in 1848. The original settlement in what is now the downtown was initially called "Contra Costa" and was
included in Contra Costa County before Alameda County was established on
March 25, 1853. The California state legislature incorporated the town of Oakland on May 4, 1852.
The town and its environs quickly grew with the railroads, becoming a major rail terminus in the late 1860s and 1870s. In
1868, the Central Pacific constructed the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point, the site of today's Port of
Oakland. The Long Wharf served as both the terminus of the Transcontinental
Railroad as well as the local commuter trains of the Central (later, Southern) Pacific. The Central Pacific also established one of its largest rail yards and
servicing facilities in West Oakland which continued to be a major local employer under the Southern Pacific well into the 20th
century. The principal depot of the Southern Pacific in Oakland was the 16th Street
Station located at 16th and Wood which is currently (2006–7) being partially restored as part of a redevelopment project.[5]
A number of horsecar and cable car lines were
constructed in Oakland in the latter half of the 1800s. The first electric streetcar set out from
Oakland to Berkeley in 1891, and other lines were converted and added over the course of the 1890s. The various streetcar
companies operating in Oakland were acquired by Francis "Borax" Smith and
consolidated into what eventually became known as the Key System, the predecessor of today's
publicly owned AC Transit. In addition to its system of streetcars in the East Bay, the Key
System also operated commuter trains to its own pier and ferry boats to San Francisco, in competition with the Southern Pacific.
Upon completion of the Bay Bridge, both companies ran their commuter
trains on the south side of the lower deck direct to San Francisco. The Key System in its earliest years was actually in part a
real estate venture, with the transit part serving to help open up new tracts for buyers. The Key's investors (incorporated as
the "Realty Syndicate") also established two large hotels in Oakland, one of which survives as the Claremont Resort. The other, which burned down in the early 1930s, was the Key Route Inn, located at
what is now West Grand and Broadway. From 1904 to 1929, the Realty Syndicate also operated a major amusement park in north
Oakland called Idora Park.
The original extent of Oakland upon its incorporation lay south of today's major intersection of San Pablo Avenue, Broadway
and 14th Street. The city gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and north. Oakland's rise to industrial
prominence and its subsequent need for a seaport led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902, creating the
"island" of nearby town Alameda. In 1906, its population doubled with refugees made
homeless after the San Francisco earthquake and fire who had fled to
Oakland. In 1915, a Chevrolet plant was opened at the southern border of Oakland. By 1920,
Oakland was the home of numerous manufacturing industries, including metals, canneries, bakeries, automobiles, and
shipbuilding.
1920s
The 1920s were economic boom years in the United States as a whole, and in California especially. Economic growth was fueled
by the general post-war recovery, as well as oil discoveries in Los Angeles, and the widespread introduction of the automobile.
Oakland grew significantly in the 1920s. According to the Oakland Tribune yearbook for 1925, more houses were built from
1921 to 1924 than in the period 1907 to 1920.[6] Many of
the single-family houses still standing in Oakland were built in the 1920s. Many large office buildings downtown were built in
the 1920s, and reflect the architectural styles of the time.
World War II
During World War II, the East Bay Area was home to many war-related industries. Among
these were the Kaiser Shipyards in nearby Richmond whose medical system for shipyard workers became the basis for the giant Kaiser Permanente HMO, which has a large medical center at MacArthur and Broadway, the first to be
established by Kaiser. Oakland's Moore Dry Dock Company expanded its shipbuilding
capabilities and built over 100 ships.
The war attracted large numbers of laborers from around the country to Oakland, many of whom were African Americans from the
western South (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas), who enjoyed great prosperity during the war years. but still had to
confront Jim Crow racial discrimination.[7]
Post-WWII (1940s and 1950s)
View of
Lake Merritt looking toward the Alameda County Courthouse.
Soon after the war, the shipbuilding and automobile industries virtually evaporated, as did the jobs that came with it. Many
who came to the city did not leave and decided to settle in their new home of Oakland. Meanwhile, many of the city's more
affluent residents left the city after the war in order to move into newly developing suburbs to the east of the hills while many
blue-collar whites moved to adjacent cities such as San Leandro and Alameda, part of a nationwide phenomenon of white flight.
During this period, the freeway system was constructed and the Key System was dismantled. The largest high rise was
constructed on the west side of Lake Merritt, the headquarters building of Kaiser Corporation (the industry, not the
HMO). Also in this era, the seedy, rundown area at the foot of Broadway was
transformed into Jack London Square.
Nonetheless, by the late 1960s, Oakland, which had been quite prosperous before the war, found itself with a population that
was increasingly poor. [8]
1960s and 1970s
In 1966, only 16 of the city's 661 police officers were black. Tensions between the poverty-stricken black community and the
predominantly white police force were high, and killings of young boys in Harlem and San Francisco added
fuel to the fire. In this charged atmosphere, the Black Panther Party was founded by
Berkeley students Huey Newton
and Bobby Seale as a response to police brutality.[9]
During the 1960s the city was home to an innovative funk music scene which produced well-known bands like Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central
Station, Tower of Power, Cold Blood, and
The Headhunters. Larry Graham, the bass player for
both Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station, is credited with the creation of the extremely influential
slap and pop sound still widely used by bassists in
many musical idioms today. It was also during the 1960s when the Hells Angels Motorcycle
Club's Oakland Chapter, began to grow into a formidable organization. By the 1980s it was the most feared and respected of all
Hells Angels chapters. Its Oakland Clubhouse still sits at 4019 Foothill Boulevard in East Oakland. In sports, the
Oakland Athletics MLB club won three
World Series in a row (1972, 1973, and 1974); the Golden State Warriors won the 1974–1975 NBA championship; and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL won Super Bowl XI in 1977.
1980s and 1990s
Starting in the early 1980s, the number of Latinos, mostly of Mexican origin, began to increase significantly in Oakland,
especially in the Fruitvale district and spilling over into East Oakland.
This district is one of the oldest in Oakland, growing up around the old Peralta estate (now a city park). It has always had a
concentration of Latino residents, businesses and institutions, but increased immigration, which has continued right up to the
21st century has added greater numbers.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Oakland featured prominently in rap music, both as the
hometown for such artists as MC Hammer, Digital
Underground, Spice 1, Hieroglyphics,
Souls of Mischief, Del tha Funkee
Homosapien, The Luniz and Too $hort, and for its
featuring in the lyrics of several songs, such as Baby Got Back, California Love and I Got
5 On It. However, the most famous rapper to come from Oakland was the legendary Tupac Shakur. 2pac, who grew up in Baltimore, New York, and later Marin City, moved to Oakland in January 1989 at the age
of 17 and lived there longer than in any other city. He began his career as a roadie and dancer for Digital Underground. Tupac
mentions Oakland in several of his songs and what it was like living there. Outside of the rap scene, Grammy award winning
artists Green Day, En Vogue and Tony! Toni! Tone! (headed by Raphael Saadiq) also emerged from
Oakland.
Also Beginning in the early 1980's The new Form of smokable cocaine, or "Crack", emerged from the intercity of Oakland,
bringing with it a huge influx in crime, and the rise of one of the most feared and respected drug lords, Felix Mitchell Mitchell
was raised in poverty in East Oakland's crime ridden 69th Ave San Antonio Villa Housing Projects. After dropping out of
high-school, Mitchell created a criminal organization called "69 Mob", connected with a drug supplier, and made business contacts
in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Detroit.
For more than a decade, Mitchell battled competition from Mickey Moore’s crime family and the Funk town USA gang to gain total
control of the lucrative drug market. It is estimated that Mitchell’s crew brought in nearly $1 million dollars in monthly
business. Mitchell used some of his criminal proceeds to give back to the community, and he is credited with sponsoring local
athletic programs for youths. He also hosted a bus load of children on a field trip to Marine World Africa USA. The community
respected him and spoke highly of him. When he drove down the streets of Oakland, people lined the streets just to wave at him,
the reception was similar to a visiting dignitary.
The notoriety of Mitchell’s empire soon came to the attention of local and national law enforcement. Mitchell was convicted in
1985 and sentenced to life in prison. He was shipped off to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary where he was fatally stabbed during
October 1986, a few months after his arrival, just days before his 32nd birthday. However, Mitchell's imprisonment did not have
the crime reducing effects law enforcement had hoped for. In what would later be termed the "Felix Mitchell Paradox", drug sales
continued and, with Mitchell's monopolistic pricing eliminated, competition reduced the price of crack cocaine. The main effect
of Mitchell's imprisonment was to destabilize the market, lowering drug prices and increasing violence as rival gang members
challenged each other for market shares with a consequent rise in drive-by shootings, street homicides and felonious assaults.
Indirectly, effective law enforcement followed by incapacitation stimulated serious random violence[10]
The Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October
17 1989, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, measuring 7.1 on the Richter magnitude scale. Several structures in Oakland were badly damaged. The double-decker
portion of the Cypress Viaduct freeway (Interstate 880) structure, located in
Oakland, collapsed, killing 42. The eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland
Bay Bridge also sustained significant damage and was closed to traffic for one month. Throughout the 1990s, buildings
throughout Oakland were retrofitted to better withstand earthquakes.
On October 20 1991, a massive fire (see
1991 Oakland firestorm) swept down from the Berkeley Hills above the Caldecott Tunnel. 25 were killed and 150 injured and over 2,000 homes were
destroyed. The economic loss has been estimated at $1.5 billion. Many homes were rebuilt much larger than they originally
were.
In late 1996, Oakland was the center of a controversy surrounding Ebonics (African American Vernacular English), an ethnolect the outgoing Oakland Unified School
District board voted to recognize on December 18.[11][12]
2000s
Jerry Brown, who was elected mayor of Oakland in 1998, initiated a plan to bring an
additional 10,000 residents to downtown Oakland. The plan has resulted in several redevelopment projects near Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, and other neighborhoods just
outside of downtown. These redevelopment projects have been controversial as many residents see these projects as
gentrification, resulting in the loss of lower-income and minority residents in downtown
Oakland. Additionally, the weakening of the Bay Area economy in 2000 and 2001 resulted in low occupancy of the new housing and slower growth and economic recovery
than expected. In recent years demand for high-rise condos and towers has surged, as in San Francisco; there are currently many
proposals for high-rise buildings, including a 63 floor, 827 ft. (252 m) tower that will rival the
Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. The developer says that the height could be
pushed up to beat out the Transamerica Pyramid, possibly giving Oakland a considerable skyline as well.
Additionally, the Oakland Athletics have long been searching for a site to build a
new baseball stadium. A site the A's found desirable was found
near Telegraph Avenue and 20th Street in downtown Oakland, but was instead slated for a
housing development. The site was favored by the Athletics for a new stadium as it was accessible by public transit and nearby
freeways. Finally in 2006, the A's announced a deal to build a new stadium in Fremont,
California, to be called Cisco Field.
In February 2006, the Oakland Ballet closed due to financial problems and the closure of their performance facility, the
Calvin Simmons Theater at the Kaiser Convention Center. The Oakland Ballet had
been performing in Oakland since 1965.[13] In 2007,
however, founder Ronn Guidi announced the revival of the Oakland Ballet. A performance of
The Nutcracker is scheduled for December, 2007, including members of the Oakland Ballet
Academy, which Guidi presides over. A new use for the Kaiser Convention Center was proposed in 2006: a redevelopment designed to
nucleate a cultural and educational district with the nearby Oakland Museum of
California and Laney College.[14] In July 2006, the Oakland City Council approved a bond measure to expand the city's library system
and convert the closed Center into a replacement for the city's aging main library, but Oakland voters defeated the library bond
measure in the November 2006 election.[15]
Ron Dellums, a former Berkeley city council
member and U.S. Representative, was elected mayor in June 2006.
The mayoral election race was contentious between Dellums and other candidates, including Oakland city council president Ignacio
de la Fuente and councilmember Nancy Nadel.[16] Each candidate had different visions of Oakland's future and different ideas about how to combat
crime, encourage appropriate urban development, and foster successful public schools. In what was essentially a three-way race,
Dellums barely won the required majority of votes needed to win without a runoff election in November.[17]
Geography
Oakland is located around 37°48' North, 122°15' West (37.8, -122.25),1 in the longitudinal middle of California, on the east side of San Francisco
Bay.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 78.2 mi² (202.4 km²). 56.1 mi²
(145.2 km²) of it is land and 22.1 mi² (57.2 km²) of it (28.28 percent) is water.
Oaklanders most broadly refer to their city's terrain as "the flatlands" and "the hills," which up until recent waves of
gentrification have also been a reference to Oakland's deep economic divide, with "the hills" being more affluent communities.
About two-thirds of Oakland lies within the flat plain of the San Francisco Bay, with one-third rising into the foothills and
hills of the East Bay range.
One of Oakland's most notable features is its downtown Lake Merritt, the largest urban
saltwater lake in the United States. (In fact, Lake Merritt is technically an
estuary of San Francisco Bay, not a lake.[18])
Neighborhoods
The city of Oakland stretches from the San Francisco Bay up into the
East Bay hills. The character of these neighborhoods continues to
change as waves of migrants from within the United States and from other countries
relocate here. The changing economy has also lured more workers with information technology and biotechnology skills to
Oakland.
Oakland has more than 50 distinct neighborhoods, many of which are not "official" enough to be named on a map. [19] The common large neighborhood divisions in the city are
downtown Oakland, East
Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland. East Oakland actually encompasses more than half of Oakland's area,
stretching from Lake Merritt southeast to San
Leandro. North Oakland encompasses the neighborhoods spread between downtown and Berkeley and Emeryville. West Oakland is the area
between downtown and the Bay, partially surrounded by the Oakland
Point encompassing the Port of Oakland.
Another broad geographical distinction is between "the hills" and "the flatlands" (or "flats"). The flatlands are the
historically working-class neighborhoods located relatively closer to San Francisco Bay, and the hills are the more
upper-middle/upper-class neighborhoods along the northeast side of the city which include the Montclair and Rockridge
neighborhoods. This hills/flats division is not only a characteristic of the City of Oakland, but extends beyond Oakland's
borders into neighboring cities in the East Bay's urban core. Downtown
and West Oakland are located entirely in the flatlands, while North and East Oakland incorporate both hills and flatlands
neighborhoods.
Downtown and Lake Merritt
East Oakland
-
Fruitvale
Lower Hills District
Central East Oakland
San Antonio
- Lynn
- Tuxedo
- Reservoir Hill
- Cleveland Heights
- Bella Vista
- Highland Park
- Highland Terrace
- Meadow Brook
- Ivy Hill
- Clinton
- Rancho San Antonio
- Oak Tree
- Merritt
- East Peralta/Eastlake
- Jingletown
Southeast Hill
Elmhurst
North Oakland
-
West Oakland
-
Climate
Oakland's climate is typified by the temperate and seasonally arid Mediterranean
climate. More specifically, it has features found in both nearby coastal cities such as San Francisco and inland cities such as San
Jose, so it is warmer than San Francisco and cooler than San Jose. While it does not abut the Pacific Ocean proper, its
position on San Francisco Bay directly across from the Golden Gate means that the city gets
significant cooling maritime fog during the summer. It is far enough inland, though, that the fog often burns off by midday,
allowing it to have stereotypically sunny California days.
The National Weather Service has two official weather stations in Oakland:
Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Museum (established 1970).
| Weather averages for Oakland, California |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Record high °F (°C) |
74 (23) |
81 (27) |
88 (31) |
97 (36) |
105 (41) |
107 (42) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
109 (43) |
103 (39) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
() |
| Average high °F (°C) |
57 (14) |
61 (16) |
63 (17) |
66 (19) |
69 (21) |
72 (22) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
72 (22) |
64 (18) |
58 (14) |
() |
| Average low °F (°C) |
45 (7) |
48 (9) |
49 (9) |
51 (11) |
53 (12) |
56 (13) |
57 (14) |
58 (14) |
58 (14) |
55 (13) |
49 (9) |
45 (7) |
() |
| Record low °F (°C) |
30 (-1) |
29 (-2) |
34 (1) |
37 (3) |
43 (6) |
48 (9) |
51 (11) |
50 (10) |
48 (9) |
44 (7) |
36 (2) |
26 (-3) |
() |
| Precipitation inch (mm) |
4.85 (123.2) |
4.27 (108.5) |
3.56 (90.4) |
1.38 (35.1) |
0.57 (14.5) |
0.11 (2.8) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.10 (2.5) |
0.33 (8.4) |
1.33 (33.8) |
3.14 (79.8) |
3.23 (82) |
() |
| Source: Weather.com – Monthly Averages for Oakland[21] 2007-09-04 |
Demographics
City of Oakland
Population by year[22][23] |
| 1880: 34,555 |
1950: 384,575 |
| 1890: 48,682 |
1960: 367,548 |
| 1900: 66,960 |
1970: 361,561 |
| 1910: 150,174 |
1980: 339,337 |
| 1920: 216,261 |
1990: 372,242 |
| 1930: 284,063 |
2000: 399,484 |
| 1940: 302,163 |
2007: 415,492 |
In early 2007, Oakland's population reached 415,492. In the census2 of 2000, there were 399,484 people, 150,790
households, and 86,402 families residing in the city. The population density was
7,126.6/mi² (2,751.4/km²). There were 157,508 housing units at an average density of 2,809.8/mi² (1,084.8/km²). The racial makeup
of the city was 35.66 percent African American, 23.52
percent White, 0.66 percent Native American, 15.23 percent Asian American, 0.50 percent Pacific Islander, 11.66 percent from other races, and 4.98 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.89 percent of the population.[24]
The US Census Bureau 2005 estimates show 31.00 percent African American, 26.10 percent White, 0.60 percent Native American, 16.40 percent Asian American, 0.90 percent Pacific Islander, 14.00 percent from other races, and 4.80 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.00 percent of the population.
The African American population has been shrinking since the mid-80s, while the Latino population has been growing. Oakland is
one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.[25]
Out of 150,790 households 28.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0 percent were married couples living together, 17.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7
percent were non-families. 32.5 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6 percent had someone living alone
who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.38.
An analysis by the Urban Institute of U.S. Census 2000 numbers showed that
Oakland has the third-highest concentration of gays and lesbians among the 50 largest U.S. cities, behind San Francisco and
Seattle. Census data show that, among incorporated areas that have at least 500 female couples, Oakland has the nation's largest
percent per capita. In 2000, Oakland counted 2650 lesbian couples; one in every 41 Oakland couples listed themselves as a
same-sex female partnership.[26][27]
In 2000, Oakland's population was reported as 25.0 percent under the age of 18, 9.7 percent from 18 to 24, 34.0 percent from
25 to 44, 20.9 percent from 45 to 64, and 10.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every
100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,055, and the median income for a family was $44,384. Males had a median
income of $37,433 versus $35,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$21,936. About 16.2 percent of families and 19.4 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9 percent of those under age 18 and 13.1 percent of those age 65 or over.
0.7% of the population is homeless.[28] Home
ownership is 41%[28] and 14% of rental units are
subsidized.[28] Unemployment is 8.4%[28]
Crime
Though substantial gains have been made as evidenced from the Uniform Crime
Reports published by the FBI, the city still ranks high in California for most categories of crime. In the 2006
Morgan Quitno crime rankings, Oakland is ranked the eighth most dangerous city nationwide
and the second most dangerous in California. In 2006, Oakland had 148 murders [29] the highest amount in ten years and the third highest amount since the early 1990s.[30] The murder rate increased 57 percent from only 94 murders in
2005. The highest peak was 175 homicides in 1992[31]—which was at a time when an average of 160 murders a year occurred in the 1990s (1999 saw the
lowest count at 68). The majority of the crimes being committed occur in the flatlands of the city in between I-580 and I-880.[32] Besides homicides, Oakland has significant problems with other crimes of
violence and property crimes.
Through September of 2007, Oakland recorded 105 homicides, compared to 116 slayings during the same period in 2006. There was
an increase in the number of rapes, armed robberies, and aggravated assaults of varying degrees during the first half of
2007.
Current mayor Ron Dellums is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal
Guns Coalition,[33] an organization formed in 2006
and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.
Politics
In the state legislature Oakland is located in the 9th Senate District, represented by Democrat Don Perata, and in the 14th, 16th, and
18th Assembly Districts, represented by Democrats Loni Hancock, Sandré Swanson, and Mary Hayashi respectively. Federally, Oakland is located in California's 9th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +38[34]
and is represented by Democrat Barbara Lee. Lee received a 97% progressive rating from a self-described non-partisan group that provides a "searchable database of
Congressional voting records from a Progressive perspective"[35], and a 13% conservative rating from a conservative
group.[36]
Economy
Oakland is a major West Coast port, and is home to several
Fortune 500 companies including Kaiser Permanente
and Clorox, as well as corporate headquarters for national retailers like Dreyer's and Cost Plus World Markets.[37]
Revitalization
Oakland has experienced an increase of both its population and of real-estate prices in the past decade, attributable to
economic recovery and former mayor Brown's "10k Plan," which resulted in large amounts of new
multi-family housing and development. In addition, Oakland's weather, location, and hillside neighborhoods with views of San
Francisco and the Bay provide an attractive alternative to the high rents and home prices in nearby San Francisco. Because of its
size, Oakland offers a substantial number of shopping districts and restaurants representing many American and international
cuisines.
Gentrification
The West Oakland Community Land Trust, Inc. and The Institute for
Community Economics have found ways to keep people in West Oakland. Since 1999, there has been a fall in crime, several ownership
changes of land parcels, and much more community cohesiveness due to the redevelopment projects taking place in West
Oakland.[citation needed] With developers interested in
a "village community" with the West Oakland BART station as its center, West
Oakland has seen an influx of new residents, some blue-collar and many white-collar workers. However, some feel‹The template Weasel-inline is being considered for
deletion.› [weasel words] displacement is inevitable unless
programs are instituted and the community of renters and owners come together. One such program is the Anti-Displacement Network.
This program's purpose is to assist in the stabilization of costs for owners and especially renters in West Oakland who may face
hardships due to the rising cost of rent.
Redevelopment proponents believe that by 2015, the redevelopment projects under way in West Oakland may provide employment,
health services, recreational facilities, special placement facilities, and additional housing (with buyer options)
