Oakland Aims to Build Back Better

Summary

For Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the coronavirus crisis began when California Governor Gavin Newsom requested use of the city’s port to allow sick passengers to disembark from the Crown Princess cruise ship. And life as mayor of this Bay Area city of 435,000 has not been the same since. Schaaf oversaw a successful lockdown, sheltered homeless people in vacant hotel rooms, and closed streets to traffic to encourage biking and walking. Now she wants to make Oakland more sustainable and equitable than before the pandemic struck.