West Oakland has been known for its rich culture, African-American community, power within and their rootedness. Due to large amount of disinvestment in the past, an emergence of a ‘commons platform’ with puncturing of tactical and permanent interventions is the key to overall Cypress neighborhood activation. The focus area runs along the Mandela Parkway; a major north-south median-divided street with pre-dominant residential area.

The goal is to preserve the cultural systems, provide social and economic equity and sustainable green infrastructure through activation of urban spaces/pockets. The proposal seeks to strategize ‘Incremental Development’ by structural interventions and activations that can be accomplished over phases in time to release energy and create a positive  “RIPPLE  EFFECT”

This is an urban connectivity and placemaking concept to leverage the Mandela Parkway strip assets (residences, frontages, vacant properties, parks)  into an improved “social circuit” for local businesses, artists, walking, biking, community gardening, meeting friends, and community events, all the activities that build sustainable communities. Collaborated with West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP), Equity Research Team (ERT) as community partners.