JUST Oakland

Just Oakland addresses the historic fragmentation of Black neighborhoods by freeways and entrenched systemic inequities through a reparative development framework. Proposed for the 2022 ULI Hines Student Competition, the project reimagines the Nimitz Freeway as an urban commons and catalyst for equitable growth. Four law enforcement sites are repurposed into community-run restorative justice centers providing housing, health, and homeless services, while Jefferson Park expands into green buffers sustained by freeway runoff. A Black Futures Museum anchors the underpass, transforming it into a civic and cultural landmark that drives investment. On the district scale, the plan introduces affordable housing, commercial space for Black-led makers, and new connections between the Black Arts Movement corridor and Jack London Maker District to strengthen local economies. An above-ground BART station restores equitable transit access. Phased development delivers 468 affordable units and 2.6M sq. ft. of mixed-use space, financed through equity, debt, and subsidies—modeling reparative urban transformation.