City of Oakland to release first cultural plan in 30 years

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Cultural Affairs Manager Roberto Bedoya will release the city’s first cultural plan in 30 years on Monday.

City officials said the plan, which is called, “Belonging in Oakland: A Cultural Development Plan,” provides a roadmap to support and lift up the role of culture in building a just and equitable city so that every Oaklander in every neighborhood has access to cultural amenities.

They said the plan’s subtitle, “Equity is the Driving Force, Culture is the Frame, and Belonging is the Goal,” indicates how the plan was developed and suggests the foundation that is needed to strengthen Oakland’s cultural ecosystem and the city.

City officials said the Cultural Affairs Division will build on the plan and its vision by launching two new initiatives in 2019.

In inviting the public to participate in the creation of the plan last year, Schaaf said, “Culture is what defines Oakland. It is our heart and soul.”

Oakland officials said last year that the idea behind the plan is to create a snapshot of the city’s unique cultural assets, define cultural priorities for the city, foster opportunities for economic benefit and community engagement, and enhance the quality of life for its residents, businesses and visitors.

Bedoya said, “We want this plan to be a living blueprint of how to empower Oakland talent and support the numerous ways Oaklanders express their cultures and celebrate life.”

Schaaf and Bedoya will hold a news briefing on the cultural plan in the mayor’s conference room on the third floor of Oakland City Hall at 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza at 10 a.m. on Monday.