Oakland
Oakland’s new school buses don’t just reduce pollution—they double as giant batteries
A new fleet of buses can send power back to the grid, stabilizing it instead of straining it.
Audit Reveals Why One City’s Efforts to Curb Homelessness Fall Short
Oakland, California, doesn’t have the data to tell if it’s making any progress on reducing homelessness, a new audit shows.
With West Coast States Blocking Coal Export Projects, Proponents Keep Pushing
Environmental and public health concerns have doomed some proposals. But the volatile economics of sending coal overseas calls into question how much it can help struggling mines.
Childhood Asthma: A Lingering Effect of Redlining
New research shows that disparities in housing contribute to disparities in one of the most common chronic diseases afflicting children.
‘Cannabis Equity’ Runs Into Roadblocks
While cities aim to help people of color become pot entrepreneurs, getting programs off the ground has proved difficult.
The Benefits of Being a Mayor Between Separate Stints as Governor
Something that paved the way for the success of Jerry Brown’s second tour as California governor: His eight years at Oakland City Hall.
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of California Ruling on Lead Paint Remediation
A coalition of cities and counties sued manufacturers under the state’s “public nuisance” law. They have won a $400 million fund to help treat housing.
California Mayors Slam Increased Fee to Abandon Utilities as Corporate ‘Giveaway’
Switching to an environmentally friendly community choice energy program will cost customers a bit more every month.
Oakland’s Website Overhaul Is Underway
A new Design League embedded with city departments is helping identify which services to digitize.
Inequality in the Bay Area Makes Preparing for Climate Change Impacts Harder
But a design challenge focused on resiliency currently underway hopes to change that.
Featured eBooks
‘I Am Saddened to Hear This. I Can’t Defend Their Actions.’
Oakland’s acting fire chief pledges inquiry into new revelations about the role firefighters may have played in failing to report safety hazards at the site where 36 people died in December.
NFL Commissioner Sends ‘Grim’ Letter to Oakland Mayor
Also in our State and Local Weekend Digest: Drone crashes into Buffalo City Hall; Iowa’s awful repeat drunk-driving record; and county supervisor in Virginia attacked by deer.
Bolstering the Bay Area Against Climate Change Impacts
Rebuild by Design and The Rockefeller Foundation’s latest competition represents a shift in focus from disaster response to resilience planning.
A Grim Task Following Oakland’s Deadly Fire; New Airbnb Regs in New Orleans
Also in our State and Local Weekend Digest: NYPD’s Smart Car fleet; predatory towing in Philadelphia; and drawing “geo-tourists” to eastern Montana.
‘Equity Is Critical to Oakland’s Resilience’
Disparities in educational and job opportunities across short distances have the city thinking about how it can improve underserved communities’ access to government services.
San Francisco's Plan to Get Entrepreneurs Working With Government
The city aims to solve its biggest problems with some of the world's smallest startups.
Creating a ‘Digital Front Door’ at Oakland City Hall
Watch Oakland Communications Director Karen Boyd discuss the city’s digital strategy during the 2015 Code for America summit.
California Mayors Champion Statewide Minimum Wage Increase
About 3.2 million residents, mostly women, could see a pay raise between now and 2021 if a proposed ballot measure passes.
Oakland Sues Wells Fargo, Alleging Predatory Mortgage Lending to Minorities
The lawsuit claims foreclosures cost the city tax revenue and caused blight.
Why Hybrid Data Storage Might Be Best When Expanding Police Body Camera Use
Demand for high-definition body cameras is at an all-time high, but the resulting data can be too much for some departments to handle.
