Next Generation Workplace District Study for the Central Industrial Area
In June 2013, the City Council commissioned the highly renowned urban design firm of Freedman Tung + Sasaki and the economic consulting firm, Spinnaker Strategies, to prepare a quick planning and economic study to address the immediate needs and opportunities arising from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and the Lit San Leandro high speed fiber loop. The study intended to guide the transformation of the industrial area into a vibrant, innovative and attractive 21st century workplace that will attract and retain advanced manufacturing and high tech companies and stimulate the creation of high paying jobs.
The Next Generation Study (PDF) describes the City's historical and current industrial area and evaluates the area's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The report also contains a map and list of opportunity sites vulnerable to change and strategies to better adapt the industrial area to immediate economic opportunities like Kaiser Medical Center, Lit San Leandro and the flexible and interactive demands (i.e., restaurants, bars, cafes) of the modern, digital workforce.
As a result of the study, staff from the Community Development Department, Engineering and Transportation Department, and the Public Works Department have been able to achieve some of the recommendations proposed in the study to "Humanize the Area." View an update (PDF).
