Community Helps Shape the Future of the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline at Oakport

The Oakport team hosted a community design workshop at the 88th Ave Library in East Oakland as part of the ongoing effort to restore and improve the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline at Oakport. Hood Planning Group facilitated the workshop on behalf of Oakport, creating an early opportunity for residents and community stakeholders to help shape the future of the shoreline before design decisions are finalized.

The workshop focused on a roughly one-mile stretch of shoreline within the larger Oakport site, where the project is seeking to strengthen wildlife habitat, improve flood protection and water quality, and expand public access and recreation.

Community members met with the Oakport development team and representatives from the East Bay Regional Park District, environmental consultants from WRA, Inc., project managers, and neighborhood leaders. The Hood Planning Group led and facilitated the community engagement process. The workshop included map-based discussions, written feedback, and conversations about recreation, restoration, public access, and habitat.

The strongest message from participants was clear: restore more habitat, improve flood resilience, and make the shoreline easier and more welcoming for the public to use.

Residents emphasized the importance of protecting tidal and wetland habitat while also creating opportunities for people to experience and learn from the shoreline. Feedback included support for native plantings, educational signage, better Bay Trail connections, seating, lighting, restrooms, and other basic public amenities. Participants also called for public art and cultural elements that reflect East Oakland’s identity.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of equitable investment in East Oakland’s shoreline. Residents noted that the area should offer the same quality of public access, recreation, and amenities found in other parts of the Bay Area. Across the discussion, participants repeatedly emphasized safe, clean, well-maintained spaces, stronger habitat protection, and climate resilience through improved flood protection and restored wetlands.

The community input will now be incorporated into future concept designs for the shoreline. The project team will also continue evaluating Bay Trail improvements, habitat restoration strategies, public access, arts and educational opportunities, and long-term stewardship.

This workshop is an important part of Oakport’s broader commitment to community-led design. The goal is not simply to improve the shoreline, but to ensure that the people who live nearby have a meaningful role in shaping what it becomes.

The Oakport team is grateful to the residents who participated, to Hood Planning Group for facilitating the workshop on Oakport’s behalf, and to the East Bay Regional Park District, WRA, Inc., and the broader project team for participating and helping move this work forward.