Add blinking lights that turn on when pedestrians push the crosswalk button to all crosswalks across the City (like the ones in Berkeley) to increase pedestrian safety.

“Infrastructure is the platform that can slow us down and get us stuck, or speed us on our way.” -Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Move: putting America's infrastructure back in the lead

Here we are in the heart of an economic boom spurred by technology, yet we have fewer local transportation choices in downtown Oakland than we did in the 1940s when there were trains on Broadway and there were no freeways dissecting the city. Jack London Square sits cut off from the rest of Oakland by the noisy ugly wall that is Interstate 880. We need to re-connect downtown Oakland with the rest of Oakland with surface streets, greenways, and local trains: http://gs-horizons.blogspot.com/2015/11/imagine-train.html

Artists, Creatives and Spiritual Communities of all sorts have made Oakland their home. With the rapid gentrification of the city and the buying up of Oakland's buildings by out of town opportunists, the culture and livelihood of countless people that give Oakland it's appeal as a destination for the arts, are being threatened. Those that are still holding on to their living and working spaces are barely doing so. The communities we have built are going to vanish all together, the art and culture along with them, if a housing solution is not found. There are many ways to provide an array of affordable housing options at different levels, so that people do not have to leave their homes and their lives. Grant programs, incentives for new owners or landlords to include lower-cost rent for artists and government subsidized housing are a few of these options. The insured inclusion of artists voices and priorities through the creation of an Oakland Arts Commission is another necessity. It is also within the power of the local government to limit the amount of city property that can be owned and\or managed by outside investors. The residents and communities of Oakland's creative communities should have priority when it comes to ownership of property in Oakland's commercial and residential zones. A way that this could become a more feasible option for more artistic folks in the city of Oakland, is through grants and incentive programs for local banks and credit unions, encouraging them to loan to creative entrepreneurs.

We are a community built on a working-class foundation, trying to build new models for our consumer world. The Makers of Oakland are determined to build a better world, and we want to do it here! The skyrocketing rents and cost of living are driving us away. Too many brilliant artists, makers and creatives have already been driven out, and we need to act fast to save what we have, giving us a platform to grow.

We need publicy-funded Artist/Maker spaces, run by the community, but sponsored by the local government. We just need the space, build out and management can come from us.

We need space to make and sell our goods, and of course to live; a cooperative community with studio space, retail space and living space would put Oakland back on the map for so many who have ruled it out due to its high cost of living. The Bay Area has the capital to support our creative community, but we just need some support from local government to make it happen.

Bring old tired buildings back to a new and healthy life, by rejuvenating and restoring the fabric and the texture and the history of the unique buildings in the city, bring back the character and the nuance of previous lives and history while looking forward to the next generation...

A diverse independent local retail community not only delivers more tax revenue that stays within the community, but helps foster places where culture and ideas flourish (places like bookstores, movie theaters, clubs, small unique boutiques, pubs and cafes). We do not want a sea of chain stores in downtown Oakland. We need support for local businesses for the unique cultural diversity and values they provide. This is what will make our city thrive as a destination.

My fiance and I just bought a condo in Old Oakland and we love it. The new stores and restaurants have made the area so lively and give it a great neighborhood feel. We cannot wait to have and raise kids here. However, I think in order to make downtown more livable, it's necessary to add a grocery store like Trader Joe's or Safeway. Smart n' Final is great for some simple items but doesn't really bring people to the neighborhood. A store like Trader Joe's or Safeway would offer a wider variety of food and would therefore bring more people to shop in the area.

Green the streets by taking streets that need repaving and simulaneously creating new 'bulb outs' for new street tree planters that can also function as bioswale stormwater management for wet periods. This would lessen water runoff - both helping to recharge and clean local ground water and runoff, as well as create new shade and visual appeal to streets. (see image for example in Portland)

Please fix the roads so that they are safer for bicyclists. Improve the safety for people who want to commute to work within Oakland, by bike. Make dedicated bike lanes for those looking to be environmentally responsible and healthier by commuting by bike.

Many decisions are made about city operations and services that affect the quality of life of residents. It would be helpful if residents had opportunities for public feedback and education at the earliest points of consideration - before matters are voted on by the Council.