COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The Deeply Rooted in Oakland Partnership (Deeply Rooted Collaborative) listens, uplifts, and advocates for community priorities and solutions to decision-makers and elected officials to ensure that the Oakland General Plan 2045 integrates the deeply rooted voices of Oakland. Since November 2021, the Deeply Rooted Collaborative has participated in over 50 pop-ups and cultural events, meeting Oakland residents where they live, work, and play.

Engagement Goals

Ensure that communities historically underrepresented in traditional planning processes can participate fully in the planning process of the Oakland General Plan 2045.
Meet the community where they are by conducting outreach through pop-ups at cultural and community events.
Educate and build capacity in the Oakland community by creating accessible engagement and education materials on the Oakland General Plan 2045.
Hear, uplift, and advocate for community priorities and solutions to decision-makers and elected officials.

How is Deeply Rooted Reaching These Goals?

Supporting Oakland Planning & Building Department staff to apply transformative community planning into the Oakland General Plan 2045. This includes creating the Equity Working Group (EWG), going at the EWG members’ pace, and connecting residents to resources while engaging in the Oakland General Plan 2045.
Convening the Equity Working Group, a citywide resident advisory body,1 to 2 times per month over the next two years to advance racial equity in the city’s planning efforts.
Interviewing Oakland residents about their housing and environmental justice needs and proposed solutions at community and cultural events. From January to October 2022, the Deeply Rooted Collaborative interviewed over 930 residents.
Developing accessible community education materials for Oakland residents to learn about the Oakland General Plan 2045 and housing and environmental justice in the city. Materials include an Oakland General Plan 2045 flyer, Asian Americans in Oakland Zine, and Preliminary Housing and Environmental Justice 2-pager.
Connecting residents to public and community resources, such as COVID-19 test sites, rent relief programs, and fair chance housing at community and cultural events.
Developing engagement summaries following each community and cultural event to share community members' concerns and solutions with the City of Oakland Planning & Building Department Staff.
Convening 20 youth fellows (ages 15 to 24) to conduct community outreach to and engage youth in the Oakland General Plan 2045.
Convening Equity Working Group members and Deeply Rooted Collaborative partners with the Directors of the Planning & Building Department, Housing & Community Development Department, Homelessness, and The City Administrator’s Office to discuss community housing policy recommendations gathered from Deeply Rooted Collaborative engagements.

Outreach and Engagement (as of 10/24/22)

From November 2021 to October 2022, the Deeply Rooted Collaborative held over 50 events, meetings, and workshops, and spoke to over 2,500 people about the Oakland General Plan 2045.