It's in the maps...

Hey Lis...whatcha been doin' over there in Cali besides hiking??? Aren't you in planning school, or something?

Here is my first planning school project, completed in Fall, 2006: A morphological study (study of the land and built form) of a neighborhood called the Lower San Antonio in Oakland, CA.

This is the neighborhood where I work! There's a lot going on over there...philanthropic ventures, community development organizations, refuges from Laos, in addition to a huge development project across the highway, down by the river.

Unfortunately, as is the case in many cities, the economically struggling urban grid is almost entirely disconnected from the luxurious riverside park and viable waterfront property on the other side of the highway. The only access to this area is via automobile, making the park a haven for people on lunch break, eating in their cars, enjoying the view.

If only those darn highways weren't in the way...we'd all have a lot more open space and connection to the river from which our cities were birthed. And we'd get to spend our time in a more integrated society.

It's all in right there in the maps...just take a closer look.

xo
Lis