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.

The City of Oakland should devote more money to funding grants and/or loans for artists living and working in Oakland. I know of no existing, operational grants sponsored by the City of Oakland that offer Musicians like me an opportunity to fund projects.

Trash is unsightly and makes the environment less enjoyable. I've seen people intentionally littering. Maybe an ad campaign might change people's attitudes? It's hard to catch people littering, but the police might be able to catch some litterers. Perhaps the city could sponsor trash pickup events for neighborhoods or public areas and parks. For illegal dumping perhaps cameras in problematic areas could help?

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...

The Malonga Center for the Arts should be supported and marketed at the world renown cultural institution it is know as for the past 3 decades.

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.

The downtown specific plan is being conducted by a Coral Gables-based consulting firm. Our planning director moved here from the East Coast just a few years ago. The group guiding the process is SPUR, an SF-based advocacy organization. It's hard for me to trust the process when it's being managed entirely by outsiders. Why couldn't an Oakland-based organization such as OCO be part of the public outreach process?

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.

We need to keep working families in Oakland and need to provide apartments and condos that are big enough for 4 people and maybe have outdoor balconies or common areas where kids can play. This is needed downtown as well as in the neighborhoods.