Youth UpRising and Oakland Mayor's Summer Jobs Program Community Mapping Project

The Urban Strategies Council partnered with community members at Youth Uprising this summer to assess the quality of parks in the Building Healthy Communities boundary in East Oakland. Council staff trained the youth to conduct surveys in the field and enter the information into an electronic database used for mapping and analysis. They captured metrics for playground equipment, sports and parks_overall_ratingrecreation facilities, restrooms, irrigation, litter, and more. The survey results were translated into a composite score for the overall quality of each park.

The park survey, along with food store and parcel surveys conducted by the youth, highlights the need for better living conditions in East Oakland, particularly surrounding access to healthy, affordable food, green and recreational space, and safe, vibrant streets.