The Lake Merritt BART Station Area is a neighborhood ripe for change. During the past decade, Oakland has experienced a resurgence in housing and commercial development — with significant development within one-half mile of the Lake Merritt BART station along Lake Merritt and the waterfront. Despite this transformative growth, the area immediately around the station has seen relatively little change in the past 20 years. Although it’s a hub for governmental and institutional uses and contains moderate density housing, the station area has little in the way of character and identity. The goal of this charrette is to unlock the station area’s strong potential as a new model for transit-oriented development in Oakland, connecting these neighborhoods for the first time in one central location.

Jeffrey Tumlin, Principal, Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, San Francisco, California
Dena Belzer, President, Strategic Economics, Berkeley, California
Tim Rood, Principal, Community Design + Architecture, Oakland, California

This charrette will focus on opportunities to shape a transit-oriented village concept at a potential California highspeed rail station in Palo Alto, where the downtown and Stanford University are close to each other — yet separated by regional rail and a major arterial. Across from the station area, Stanford is currently planning to expand and rebuild the Stanford Medical Center and Stanford Shopping Center, two auto-oriented, large-scale regional centers, as well as potential future university housing. The urban design challenge is how to transform the existing and proposed environments into an urban, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, transit-oriented environment that links the university, downtown and surrounding community — as well as connecting to high-speed rail, regional rail, bus rapid transit and an extensive shuttle system.

GB Arrington, Vice President, PB PlaceMaking, Portland, Oregon
Bruce Fukuji, Urban Design Practice Leader, PB PlaceMaking, San Francisco, CA

Take the BART train to the terminus of the Dublin-Pleasanton Line in the East Bay community of Dublin and see first hand how a public/public/private partnership can create a successful suburban transit station area with high-density housing units, an office campus area, a hotel and retail uses. For the Castro Valley segment of the mobile workshop, see the first joint development project built on BART land by the Bridge Housing Corporation. In Castro Valley, tour a 96-unit affordable housing development, the recently renovated Strobridge House, and a BART command center police facility.

Take BART to the award-inning Fruitvale Village at the Fruitvale BART station and see how more than 20 public and private partners created an internationally recognized model for transit-oriented development. The village encompasses a Head Start center, a Clinica de la Rasa medical facility, California’s first Spanish-oriented public library, a senior center, retail space, bike station and residential units. Later, board BART and visit the Hayward BART station and tour the award-winning Hayward City Hall. Finish with a walking tour of downtown Hayward and see nearly 900 residential units built within a strong pedestrian-transit context.

This scenic mobile workshop will showcase transit-oriented development at three new stations. Ride BART to Millbrae and tour the station area that features a vibrant pedestrian-oriented mixed-use district. Also hear what the city, BART and Samtrans (County Transit) plans for a surface parking lot. Next visit the South San Francisco BART station where TOD development blurs the property boundaries to create an attractive mixed-use district. Finish with a visit to the Colma Station and a TOD of high-density affordable housing with a retail component and the beginning of an affordable housing development.

Join us on a bicycle tour showcasing the latest improvements and plans for three BART stations in the East Bay. Starting at El Cerrito Del Norte BART, workshop participants will hear about the San Pablo Avenue planning process and check out Baxter Creek Park along a greenway. From there, head to El Cerrito Plaza with a quick stop to see streetscape improvements and coming development. The third stop is an historic transit neighborhood, followed by a ride along the route used for the East Bay Interurban Electric trains. The final stop will be the Ashby BART.

This tour studies how two neighborhoods emerged from the shadows of elevated freeways that were demolished. Begin the tour along the Embarcadero and see the Ferry Plaza, historic F-Market streetcar line, and rejuvenated Ferry Building (new home to the famous farmer’s market). Ride the Muni to Van Ness and Market and walk to Hayes Valley, which underwent a renaissance when the double-decker Central Freeway was razed. Discuss the ground-breaking Market/Octavia Better Neighborhoods Plan and view the award-winning Octavia Boulevard.

This mobile workshop illustrates the ongoing evolution of a transit corridor in the Bay Area. View the in-progress transformation of San Pablo Avenue from a traffic choked state highway lined with auto body shops and liquor stores to a vibrant mixed-use corridor. Ride BART and the AC Transit’s Rapid bus to see how TOD has sprung up in several East Bay communities. Stop along the way and see how new housing, new retail, new transit, and streetscape improvements have worked together to humanize this busy arterial.

Ride BART to the Downtown Richmond station, where BART meets Amtrak at a new intermodal station, and then tour the Citywalk TOD. Next stop is the Downtown Berkeley BART station, where a walking tour highlights some of downtown’s notable mixed-use development, historical buildings and an innovative stacked parking area. Also hear how the city is considering whether to “daylight” Strawberry Creek, which runs below the street. Lunch will be provided in downtown Berkeley, followed by a tour of the mixed-used Artech Building.

Take a heartwarming tour of San Francisco’s bicycle facilities as well as many popular bike routes. Visit the South of Market and Mission districts by using the city’s integrated bicycle route network — and learn how this vital new network was created. Admire colorful Mission District murals, take a look at the bike facility at the commuter/light-rail Caltrain station, and enjoy an informative walking tour of the Hamm’s Brewery Building.

Take a brisk and scenic ride that Bay Area commuters have been taking for more than a century — hop on a ferry! This tour departs from the historic San Francisco Ferry Building across the street from the hotel and connects to Larkspur Landing in Marin County, an emerging multi-modal hub. Take a short walk to site of the terminal station for the proposed SMART commuter rail service, which would run 70 miles north with an adjacent bicycle and pedestrian path. Finish with a short walk to the historic CalPark tunnel.

This dynamic mobile workshop showcases a major new light-rail transit project along the entire eastern bay shore of San Francisco. Pass the vibrant South of Market neighborhood and PacBell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Also visit the Caltrain depot and get a look at construction of the new Mission Bay urban neighborhood. Along the route, workshop participants will see Muni’s Metro East facility under construction and the Central Waterfront Plan area. Tours of the historic Bayview neighborhood, where light rail once again meets Caltrain, and the future subway alignment to Union Square and Chinatown round out the workshop.

This tour studies two neighborhoods developing around BART stations — the predominantly Latino Mission District and the bucolic Glen Park village. Ride BART with city and BART staff and see the distinctive art and plaza landscaping around the BART station, making it a gateway to this fast-changing, dense neighborhood. Ride BART to nearby Glen Park, where the new Better Neighborhood Plan envisions creek restoration and TOD in the shadow of a rare, pastoral San Francisco canyon. Finish with a tour of the charming Glen Park village.

Visit the city of Oakland’s future home to two Hope VI (the $5 billion innovative urban redevelopment and public housing program) transit-oriented developments that will serve as catalysts to market-rate developments at two BART stations. One development, adjacent to the West Oakland BART station, will produce a diverse range of housing types. Residents will have access to a childcare facility, community centers and neighborhood retail. The second development, located near the Coliseum BART station, will transform a 22-acre site in East Oakland into housing, community services and an athletic field.

Travel on the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART line to the Pleasant Hill BART station, where the nearby Pleasant Hill Transit Village is under construction. Hear how, when completed, the village will include 550 residential units, 35,000 square feet of retail space, 270,000 square feet of office space, and a 20,000-square-foot conference center came together under a unique public/public/private partnership. Also tour the adjacent 140-acre Contra Costa Centre, recently selected by the California State Auto Association as the site for its corporate headquarters.

Take BART to Oakland to witness the transformation around two downtown Oakland BART stations, resulting in 2,000 new residential units (and more to come), upscale restaurants, art galleries and eclectic retail shops. This walking tour will take you through significant preservation projects and five high-density mixed-use and residential developments. Oakland’s vision of bringing 10,000 residents to its urban core districts is well on its way! This tour will feature public and private sector leaders who are working together to reshape Oakland’s downtown for the 21st century.

The 2008 Rail~Volution Bay Area Steering Committee and sponsors invite you to join them for a welcome reception at the newly renovated Ferry Building. Across the street from the conference hotel and located on the famous San Francisco Bay, the Ferry Building is one of the oldest structures in San Francisco. Rail~Volution attendees will be able to relax, talk and view the San Francisco Bay from one of the most popular spots in the BayArea. Help get Rail~Volution 2008 started in style...