Quote:
Originally Posted by Malloric
Why do you attribute success to Redevelopment, something that's been around since the 1950s and ended (although with some legacy projects continuing) in 2012 for the recent changes in Oakland?
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Coordinated effort consolidated to a few connected locations. City of Oakland used redevelopment money to fund a lot of small (and cheap) initiatives that helped stitch things together. Facade improvement, the free downtown shuttle.
Before, things in downtown were really really patchy. A block over here had something. A block 4 blocks away did. The spots in between were a dead zone. Oakland was infinitely more creative (in good and bad ways) about using redevelopment monies. They first designated huge areas as redevelopment sections which helped to spur development.
There was stuff like Popuphood (funded by redevelopment) where they did free rent for 6 months on empty storefronts on a single block. It made it a mini "mall" so each store created community on the block. About 60% went on to open real stores. Some are hitting 3 year anniversaries now!
Killing redevelopment impacts more than development | New York Times
INTERVIEW: The Czar of Oakland Redevelopment and The Big Remake – Next City
If You Offer Free Rent, They Will Come - NationalJournal.com
Redevelopment gave lots of disparate Oakland departments an excuse to work together and plan jointly.
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