The rise of the automobile has come to shape American culture and society in a way that few human inventions have managed to rival. Long-winding rural roads, cul-de-sacs, and massive highway projects define the American landscape. They have shaped and reshaped entire cities. Far from only enabling the American dream and the prophecy of manifest destiny, automobile infrastructure has also fractured neighborhoods, segregated communities, and intensified social stratification. Oakland’s I-880 highway belongs to the latter category.  

​

Highway i-880 hovers over a perpetual strip of dark space that separates the historically redlined Jack London Square waterfront area from Oakland’s Central business district. The shadow that has been introduced by the mega infrastructural project defines the underpass. It has become a camping site for the unhoused who spend their nights sleeping in between parking lots that represent the official functions of the space underneath the highway.  

The Paseo Project aims at bringing the light and color characteristic of Oakland’s multicultural communities to the spaces below and around I-880. Oakland’s role as a national cultural hub is expanded and supercharged along the highway to re-imagine and re-invent the legacy of I-880 highway. The Paseo Project outfits the space below the highway with long rows of LED lights that illuminate and provide an attraction, reflecting the cultural flux and brightness that is unique to Oakland.  The simple solution liberates the underpasses and introduces one of the largest open spaces in the area. The now-illuminated openness allows for a series of flexible public programs such as a surreal dog park, a seating area for picnics and gathering featuring immersive sound experiences, a space for ridesharing services to pick up and park, and a space for exterior public art exhibitions. The artworks will be a direct extension of the adjacent portion of the project.  

Four blocks make up the first phase of the new Paseo District.  The westernmost block, the historic Jefferson Park is enhanced and integrated with a new cultural center on the adjacent block. The purpose of this center is to cultivate and display Oakland’s multi-cultural and artistic soul. Proudly sitting next to the cultural center, on the same block, are two mixed-use mixed-income residential towers whose affordable housing units crown ground floor local commercial establishments that further extend the cultural theme of the district. The adjacent block to the east features a similar combo of mixed-use mixed-income residential units but over a variety of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that link to the mixed-use offices on the next block.  

​

Finally, the district weaves into the city’s fabric by attaching itself with a series of loops that connect The Paseo Project at different scales. By exploring the location along the highway as a positive opportunity rather than an obstacle, the project manages to dissolve the dark barrier that was introduced by I-880. Ultimately, the design helps give Oaklanders the power to live near a vibrant and healthy downtown if they choose.