Meet Berkeley's New Land Use Planning Manager
A Meet and Greet with Anne Hersch AICP, Berkeley's New Land Use Planning Manager (Current & Long Range Planning)
Please join BDA and DBA for a casual meet and greet with Anne Hersch AICP, Berkeley's new Land Use Planning Manager.
Anne brings 18 years of experience working with Community Development and Planning in California in large and small jurisdictions. This is a great opportunity to meet the seasoned professional who will be guiding Berkeley development and assisting applicants through the city process.
Location: Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck (cross street Durant), Berkeley, CA
Please RSVP to: berkeleydesignadvocates@yahoo.com
UC Berkeley’s Innovation Zone
Presenters: Wendy Hillis, UC Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect
Ms. Hillis will discuss the recently announced Innovation Zone, which encompasses several parcels at University and Oxford and includes the demolition of University Hall. The project recently entered into environmental review.
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Many thanks to AIA East Bay for hosting this event!
Berkeley Planning Update
Presenters: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development Director, and Justin Horner, Associate Planner, City of Berkeley
Mr. Klein will provide an update on the Planning Department’s priorities for 2024 and beyond, including land use policy, climate action, and regulation and permitting of development and construction. Mr. Horner will provide an update on the Planning Department’s recommendations for increasing the supply of “middle-housing.”
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Many thanks to AIA East Bay for hosting this event!
Downtown Berkeley Recap
Presenters: Mark Rhoades, Rhoades Planning Group, and John Caner, Downtown Berkeley Association
Please join us for a discussion on the emergence of downtown Berkeley and what the future holds. Since the adoption of the Downtown Area Plan (DAP) in 2010, Downtown Berkeley has been undergoing an historic period of growth similar to the 1920’s from a change perspective. More than 5,000 dwelling units have been proposed, entitled, and/or constructed in the DAP area. Approximately 7,500 or more new residents will ultimately call Downtown Berkeley their homes. That number of new residents will make the downtown the mixed-use transit-oriented neighborhood that it was meant to be when BART first opened. Much of the housing is badly needed niche housing for students and young professionals and including hundreds of below market rent units.
Rhoades Planning Group has assembled a live Google Earth massing model with just the last five years of projects in the DAP area. The model will allow Berkeley Design Advocates members to “see” the massing of these projects juxtaposed in the actual downtown environs. The model includes all of the proposed and approved high- and mid-rise structures.
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Many thanks to AIA East Bay for hosting this event!
Tour de San Pablo Avenue
Join your colleagues for a “three-hour tour” on bikes of Berkeley’s length of San Pablo Avenue. On this tour we will stop at various nodes and talk about the infill development projects that are reshaping State Highway 123 in Berkeley. It is an exciting time for transformation. Participants will be provided with a map to reference at our tour stops along the way with project data and renderings. Representatives of Trachtenberg Architects and StudioKDA will be on hand to talk about many of these projects.
Meet at the SW corner of Harrison/San Pablo at 12:30pm.
Ground Floor Retail: Time to Rethink the Street Frontage?
Please join us for a panel discussion of the challenges, opportunities and realities of retail and other uses on the ground floor. Our panel will discuss why ground floor retail doesn’t always work well, how is Berkeley thinking about them, what can we do in general to make them better. Panel members include:
• Christine Firstenberg, Retail specialist with Metrovation
• Justin Horner, City of Berkeley, Planning Division
• Elisa Mikiten, Planning Commissioner and Elisa Mikiten Land Use Consulting
• Mark Rhoades, Rhoades Planning Group, Moderator
This is sure to be an interesting discussion as the city and the design community grapple with how to activate the ground floor and adjacent public realm within the realities of today’s economy.
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Many thanks to AIA East Bay for hosting this event!
New West Berkeley Model – Let’s Discuss the Emerging Built Environment
Calling all Community Advocates and Visionaries! Discover the Exciting Transformation of Second Street in West Berkeley!
As Research & Development blossoms in West Berkeley, we need YOUR creative insights to shape a sustainable and vibrant future for our beloved community. Join us for a captivating dialogue on innovative approaches and a fresh vision for Second Street with Sara Peschel, Principal at Groundworks.
Be part of the Change! Explore the remarkable “old-school” model of West Berkeley, meticulously crafted by Groundworks, as we dive into the possibilities for our emerging built environment.
Let’s unite to foster a greener, more connected, and inclusive West Berkeley. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to be heard and make a lasting impact. Reserve your spot now and let’s pave the way to an exceptional future together!
Doors Open @5:00pm/Sara Presents at 5:45pm
Please RSVP to: berkeleydesignadvocates@yahoo.com
Location: 1792 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Many thanks to Groundworks for hosting this event!
Berkeley Forge (Redesign of Pacific Steel Casting)
The Berkeley Forge development seeks to transform this Northwest Berkeley heavy industrial neighborhood into a unique life-science campus, embracing Berkeley’s manufacturing history and attracting the next generation of talent. The 10-acre development will provide approximately 890,000 sf of Class-A life-science campus in eight buildings and provide approximately 1,900 parking stalls in three structures. The life science buildings range in size and height, allowing for diverse urban design and tenant opportunities, with floor plates from 25,000 sf to 30,000 sf and ranging from 3 to 6 levels.
In order to balance site access, the design lends priority to pedestrians and cyclists along 2nd street, while providing services and parking entries along the perimeter of the campus. At the heart of the campus, the existing Berkeley Forge building has been repurposed for a one of-a-kind amenity space that activates the core of this site and sets a tone for more intimate placemaking amongst the new buildings.
The project team is considering resiliency strategies, including addressing sea level rise and incorporating sustainable design methods to reduce carbon, optimize energy and provide an urban forest public open space. In total, this proposal outlines the development of a distinctive Innovation Hub, a regional landmark that brings together regional life-sciences talent and research into a signature campus.
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Many thanks to AIA East Bay for hosting this event!
Bird-Friendly Glazing Ordinance
Please join BDA for a presentation by City of Berkeley staff on the Planning Commission’s proposed ordinance intended to reduce bird mortality from windows and other transparent buildings. The Planning Commission considered two different approaches at its March 1st meeting and chose to proceed with a proposal supported by the Audubon Society. The proposed ordinance requires three glazing options, including options that required pattered glazing or screens.
In preparation for the City Council public hearing, City staff is soliciting questions and concerns in the design and development community about these new requirements.
BDA Design Awards Reception
Location: Aurora Theater, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA
Please join us to celebrate the 2021-2022 Biennial BDA Design Award winners!
Thirteen significant building projects were nominated by their sponsors or architects and an independent jury selected five to receive an award. Projects were considered based on excellence in urban planning and architecture, innovative and creative design solutions, and preservation of historic structures.
6:00pm: Reception
6:45pm: Awards Ceremony
Check out the Awards page for details on the BDA Design Awards and this year’s winners.
Waterfront/Marina Master Plan Update
Please join us in person for a presentation by City of Berkeley staff on the status and outlook for an update of the Berkeley Waterfront Specific Plan (this effort incorporates the Marina Plan).
The four-year planning project began in late 2020/early 2021 and will eventually provide a path for achieving a financially self-sustainable, publicly owned marina that preserves and enhances infrastructure to support current and future community needs, while adapting to climate change and promoting environmental stewardship.
Location: AIA East Bay Conference Room, Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way #310, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Book Launch: Changing the Commons
Let's talk about Placemaking!
Please join us at UC Berkeley for a conversation about Placemaking and the launching of our book Changing the Commons.
Location: Women's Faculty Club at UC Berkeley Campus
4.00pm - Reception & introductions
5.00pm - Conversation
6.00pm - Book signing
John Northmore Roberts, Author, Community-based ecological landscape architect / JNRA
With
Matt Kondolf, Chair Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Dept (LAEP) UC Berkeley
Philip Williams, Hydrologist
Joe McBride, Emeritus Professor Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Dept (LAEP) and Environmental Science Policy Management (ESPM) UC Berkeley
Susi Marzuola, Principal, Siegel & Strain Architects
Daniela P. Corvillon, Architect & Associate / JNRA
Infrastructure in Berkeley
Please join us for a wide ranging discussion with Public Works Director Liam Garland on the scope of Public Works responsibilities, the often-discussed reorganization of the Public Works Department, the status of infrastructure in Berkeley and upcoming projects, and a recap of funding for infrastructure.
More than 325 public works staff are responsible for the City’s extensive network of public infrastructure, including 214 miles of streets, 400 miles of sanitary sewers and 78 miles of storm water piping, 30 green infrastructure installations, 8,000+ streetlights, 3,750 parking meters, 54 public buildings, and waste, recycling, and composting for all of Berkeley’s residents and businesses. Mr. Garland will recap this effort and approaches to stay current with infrastructure needs.
Trachtenberg Architects
David Trachtenberg, Isaiah Stackhouse, and Mauricio De la Peña (Trachtenberg Architects) will offer a presentation of their current Berkeley housing work, both in construction and on the boards. The work includes market-rate, affordable, highrise, student, senior and homeless projects.
Their talk will touch on issues of aesthetic and material durability, affordability, prefabrication, historic and neighborhood context, and the impact of California's new density law on urban form.
POSTPONED - Infrastructure in Berkeley
POSTPONED due to weather - Stay Tuned for Updates!
Please join us for a wide ranging discussion with Public Works Director Liam Garland on the scope of Public Works responsibilities, the often-discussed reorganization of the Public Works Department, the status of infrastructure in Berkeley and upcoming projects, and a recap of funding for infrastructure in the wake of the defeat of the most recent bond ballot measure.
More than 325 public works staff are responsible for the City’s extensive network of public infrastructure, including 214 miles of streets, 400 miles of sanitary sewers and 78 miles of storm water piping, 30 green infrastructure installations, 8,000+ streetlights, 3,750 parking meters, 54 public buildings, and waste, recycling, and composting for all of Berkeley’s residents and businesses. Mr. Garland will recap this effort and approaches to stay current with infrastructure needs.
Tour of Bakar BioEnginuity Hub
Join BDA for a special tour of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub.
Harold Way Placemaking
Please join us for an update and presentation on the joint Downtown Berkeley Association/Berkeley Design Advocates Harold Way Redesign Proposal. The Presentation will be given by John Caner of the DBA and Ryan Call of Urban Field Studio.
In March, DBA and BDA sponsored a Brainstorming Workshop that considered a rethink of the one-block Harold Way, as planned development projects will change the dynamics of the short street. Since the workshop, the BDA/DBA team issued a report and the summary presentation synthesizing ideas generated at the workshop into three concepts to build support and solicit feedback from the community. The presentation will detail the three concepts generated from the workshop and highlight the common threads.
Southside Zoning Zooms Ahead
Please join us for a presentation on proposed changes in zoning and development standards in the Southside Plan area. The overall policy goals of these changes are consistent with City Council referrals to encourage housing production in the Southside, increase the predictability of development outcomes, facilitate the calculation of state density bonus and control unit sizes.
U.C. Berkeley’s New Master Plan
Wendy Hillis, Assistant Vice Chancellor and UC Berkeley Campus Architect will present the University’s new Master Plan. This visionary document will guide UC Berkeley development for the next decade, reinforce the University’s economic impact on Berkeley and create synergies with the regenerating downtown. From the top floor of the Wells Fargo Building, we will be able to both participate in a discussion with Vice Chancellor Hillis and look out and see the University and envision the contemplated changes.
Housing Element Update
Please join us in person for a presentation by City of Berkeley Planning staff on the status of Berkeley’s update to the General Plan’s Housing Element.
Berkeley Square Housing
Please join us in person at Spats, 1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley for a presentation on a new Shattuck Square residential project.
The project, located at 130-134 Berkeley Square (between Shattuck and Kala Bagai Way) is a six-story mixed-use providing 50 residential units (45 studios and five one-bedroom units). The 77-foot tall structure will yield 28,390 square feet, of which 26,420 square feet will be for residential use and 2,020 square feet for ground-level retail with a pedestrian connection between Kala Bagai Way and Shattuck Avenue. No vehicular parking will be included on-site, and parking will be included for 18 bicycles.
Harold Way Placemaking Project - Brainstorming Workshop
Please join us with Mayor Jesse Arreguin & Vice Mayor Kate Harrison for an Initial Brainstorming Workshop
Planned development projects on both the east side and west side of Harold Way present an unique opportunity to rethink this intimate one-block street in the heart of Downtown Berkeley
Location: Harold Way in Downtown Berkeley (between Allston and Kittredge)
Berkeley’s Next Wrestling Match – Objective Standards for Housing
Please join BDA in person for a presentation on the scope and process for Berkeley’s attempt to identify objective standards for housing developments. California law requires cities follow a streamlined process to approve proposed housing projects that conform with local zoning, subject to objective design standards. Currently, Berkeley’s process is not streamlined and is subjective. Elisa Mikiten will provide an overview of the process, the potential risks and rewards, and the schedule for this policy discussion.
Harold Way – Vertical and Horizontal Changes Brewing
Presenter: Bill Shrader, The Austin Group and Ryan Call, ELS
Please join BDA for a discussion of Berkeley’s newest downtown development. Berkeley Plaza is a proposed 8-story mixed use project at 2065 Kittredge, with 187 units and ground-floor commercial space. The project provides an opportunity to reconsider the use and design of Harold Way. Ryan Call of ELS will outline a collaborative charette, co-hosted with BDA, to rethink the design of Harold Way.
Harold Way, home to Dharma College, connects to the YMCA on the north and Berkeley's Public Library on the south. The proposed Berkeley Plaza development will bring new opportunities to add life to this street long left lifeless due to the existing service dock and back of house functions of the existing retail and theater uses. The charette to rethink the street design could explore the potential of full closure, partial closure, woonerf (living street) concepts, or a more pedestrian friendly traditional urban street. While it may not serve as a central gathering place for the larger city, it could add to the experiential variety of public space experiences offered in Downtown Berkeley, making for a more livable and prosperous downtown.
Meeting Location: Spats, 1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
R&D in West Berkeley
Presenters: Eleanor Hollander, Manager of the City’s Office of Economic Development, and Elizabeth Redman Cleveland, Chief Strategist of Sustainable Growth, City of Berkeley.
Please join us in person for this discussion of Berkeley’s most dynamic economic district, where R&D industries are driving economic opportunity in Berkeley. The presentation will include a snapshot of R&D activities taking place in Berkeley today, the zoning challenges R&D companies face when trying to grow locally, and changes to Berkeley land use regulations that may be on the horizon.
For more information, download OED’s presentation to BDA.
Meeting Location: Spats, 1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Biographies
Eleanor Hollander has presented previously to BDA and is the Manager of OED and leader of the City of Berkeley's 'Civic Center Vision and Implementation Plan', the 'Path to Permanence' legislation for Outdoor Dining and Commerce, and has been serving as the business liaison in the City of Berkeley's COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center since March 2020. She oversees the City of Berkeley's Revolving Loan Fund for small businesses, supports multiple commercial districts, and prepares citywide data and reports on the commercial climate in Berkeley.
Prior to joining the City in 2014, she was the Economic Development Director of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, where she organized the monthly economic development forum at the chamber and was the liaison to the city of Oakland regarding a variety of planning and development issues. Eleanor holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning from U.C. Berkeley, a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Elizabeth Redman Cleveland, also at OED, draws on her past cross-sector experience to design city policies and programs to ensure socially and environmentally responsible economic growth, using her partnership development, stakeholder engagement, project management, facilitation, and research skills, Before joining city government, Elizabeth led IHS Markit’s Economic Strategy Solutions regional competitiveness consulting practice and launched the corporate Sustainable Customer Solutions initiative to help clients leverage IHS’ information, analytics and insight to achieve their own sustainability objectives. In the last decade, Elizabeth has also founded her own consulting firm (Cross Sector Strategies); designed regional industry cluster development strategies at the Economic Competitiveness Group; and advised many business associations, academic institutions, philanthropies, and non-profit organizations on a broad range of economic and workforce development topics.
Panoramic Pursues Prefab to Perfection
Presenters: Patrick Kennedy, Panoramic Interests, and David Trachtenberg, Trachtenberg Architects
Please join us in person to learn about Panoramic Interest’s prefabrication and modular construction odyssey. Panoramic focuses on dense, mixed-use, mixed-income, infill developments, typically financed with private funds. The firm’s projects incorporate the Smart Growth principles designed to discourage auto use, mitigate sprawl, encourage local business, and enhance the pedestrian streetscape. As part of this mission, the firm has long had an interest in small space design and prefab construction.
In 2013 Panoramic built a prefab studio apartment project in San Francisco’s south of Market, the first of its kind in the city. It used wood modules from a Sacramento firm, ZETA Communities. In 2018 it built a second prefab studio apartment project, in Berkeley, using steel modules from China. In January 2022, Panoramic will undertake its third prefab studio apartment project, with steel modules from Henderson, Nevada. It will be a 39 unit supportive housing development, at 1367 University Ave. Berkeley.
Meeting Location: Spats (Back Garden) 1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Presenter Bios:
Mr. Kennedy grew up in the East Bay, and attended Claremont McKenna College, majoring in Economics and English. After college, he worked as a contractor, and then attended Harvard Law School and MIT, graduating with a J.D. and a Masters in Real Estate Development.
Mr. Trachtenberg is the Founding Principal of Trachtenberg Architects and a Registered California Architect. His firm has designed projects throughout California and in Berkeley, including Berkeley Bowl, the Read Building on Fourth Street, the La Farine Building on Solano, and Comal, as well as several multifamily residential projects. Mr. Trachtenberg is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
The HUB - Berkeley’s Latest High-Rise
Please join BDA in person to learn about the HUB, a new Downtown Berkeley sustainable mixed-use student-oriented housing community with ground-floor retail and restaurants, proposed by Core Spaces.
Meeting Location: Spats (Back Garden) 1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Or via Zoom
Downtown is Back!
Join us in person! After a year of little retail business activity, we will assess the reopening status of downtown businesses, along with the status of new development projects. Our speakers will include Dorothy Walker, a veteran of several downtown planning processes, providing history and context. John Caner of the Downtown Berkeley Association will review development projects, and Farid Javandel of the city Public Works/Transportation Division will review public realm and street improvement and changes.
Landscape Architecture and the Future of Public Open Space and Community Oriented Design
Presenter: Sara Peschel, founding partner of landscape architecture firm, GROUNDWORKS
Discussion of landscape architecture and its evolving role in design, sustainability and livability.
Landscape Architecture is a broad field with design considerations that range from site specific details to concerns at the global level. A mix of projects in the Bay Area that are public, publicly accessible, and along the public/private interface will be presented. Each project will be examined in regard to how design addresses accessibility, biodiversity, climate change, community, stormwater management and safety while creating a desirable place for users (human and non-human). Discussion will focus on what these issues mean for the future of public open space and community oriented design in Berkeley.
Ms. Peschel’s work addresses various scales from large scale urban ecologies to smaller scale public open space and garden projects. Her background in natural resources and experience in public art has fostered a deep interest in how the design process can facilitate a personal connection to the natural environment. She received a BS from the University of Vermont and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University.