Corridors Zoning Update

Product Strategy. Stakeholder Alignment

Firm: City of Berkeley

Duration: 1.5yrs & ongoing

Problem

How could the City deliver a legally compliant zoning update—on a fixed timeline—while managing intense public disagreement, ensuring inclusion, and producing a proposal that decision-makers could realistically adopt?

Context & Constraints

State-mandated housing requirements (non-negotiable)
Fixed budget and staff capacity
Highly polarized public opinion
Multiple governing bodies with formal approval authority
Pressure to deliver quickly without eroding public trust

Users & Stakeholders

Residents and neighborhood groups
Small business owners
Students and families with young children
Housing advocates and developers
City Council and Planning Commission
Mayor’s Office and multiple City departments
30+ community- and student-led organizations
The loudest voices were not always the most impacted, requiring careful prioritization and facilitation

Research & Inputs

Citywide workshops and corridor-specific meetings
Over 2,000 online survey responses
Written public comments and stakeholder meetings
Consultant-led data modeling and feasibility analysis (which I oversaw for rigor and alignment)
Direct coordination with elected officials and commissions
Research was used to inform tradeoffs, not to promise consensus.

Decision Framework

Feedback from small business owners revealed gaps in policy support that zoning alone could not address.

In response:

Reallocated budget from lower-priority tasks
Added a new workstream focused on small-business impacts
Reduced scope elsewhere to protect the delivery timeline
Added online modes of soliciting feedback & engaging with community members

This ensured the final proposal addressed real concerns without stalling progress

Outcomes of Online Engagement

200% increase in engagement, including students (through social media)
2,000+ survey responses informing policy alternatives
Broad recognition from decision-makers and community members for process quality
New small-business workstream added without impacting project timeline
APA Northern California Award for Excellence in Communications & Outreach
Project completion targeted for December 2026.