Murals are a powerful tool for storytelling. Not only do they bring color and intrigue to the urban landscape, these large-scale paintings have helped build community and raise social awareness in Oakland for years.
Like many cities across the U.S., Oakland has a long history with environmental justice, the idea that environmental benefits and burdens should be shared fairly among all people. Over the years, the city has taken steps to become more sustainable, seeking to adopt a holistic approach toward achieving climate equity.
Nestled at the foot of the Oakland Hills and bordering the San Francisco Bay, Oakland sits within a spectacular natural setting. However, visiting parks and preserves east of the city can require people to take long transit rides or own a car. Located in the heart of Oakland, Lake Merritt offers a convenient alternative.
Founded in the 1850s, Oakland Chinatown is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the U.S. Discover the resilient history behind this East Bay gem, which remains a key cultural and economic center today.
Decked out with high-end restaurants and retail stores, Temescal is one of the trendiest areas in Oakland—as well as the site of skyrocketing housing prices and gentrification. Discover how this complex neighborhood came to be.
From installing a laundry-to-landscape system to constructing a bioretention facility and planting trees, Sherwood Design Engineers shares the inside scoop on the implementation of stormwater retrofits for the Oakland EcoBlock.
Between 1940 and 1944, the Bay Area experienced a huge surge in population. Wartime industry jobs attracted over half a million new residents, including many people of color, who settled in different neighborhoods throughout a rapidly suburbanizing Oakland.
Dr. Therese Peffer presented EcoBlock at KQED’s Climate Adaptation Science Fair, where kids and adults explored sustainable solutions through hands-on activities.
Once known as the “Harlem of the West,” West Oakland’s Seventh Street harbored a vibrant Black music and commercial scene. While the neighborhood is still recovering from the impacts of post-war urbanization, it has begun to bounce back, turning to local blues and jazz artists to revive the sounds of a long-forgotten era.