Oakland Shops at The Ridge

The Bay Area

While the term "Green Infrastructure" is frequently found as a topic in the media as well as in academic essays, the San Francisco Bay Region, the metropolis located against the bay of Pacific ocean with a long history and innovative technology, is tremendously engaging the environmental issues between the city development and natural preservation. By laws, the Municipal Regional Permit, referred as MRP, was issued in 2009 by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board to mandate stormwater pollution prevention activities. In more than seventy municipalities in the Bay Area including City of Oakland, new development and re-development projects categorized by the scope of the project as defined in certain scale are required to comply with MRP. The landscape professionals in the Bay Area are aware of the sensibility of the land and the topic of "Bay-Friendly Landscape" is enormously explored by implementing green infrastructure and maintaining the sustainability of living environment.

The Quarry Walk

Oakland Shops at The Ridge, formerly known as the site of the Bilger Quarry surrounded by rocky cliffs and an old reservoir, possesses highly historic significance and natural characteristic. While proposing redevelopment of the site, a major strategy was made to stitch disconnected neighborhoods from the urban context perspectives. Safeway Market, the well-known American supermarket chain store, along with retail complex reactivate the community while not losing the preservation of its historic and natural character. Landscape design implements fair amount of local materials including California stone and plaster wall inspired by adjacent residences as well as plenty of local planting species. In addition to shopping streets, "Quarry Walk" leads visitors and local residents who want a bit exploration to the extraordinary scenery of cliff and shore, while old quarry theme, gabion seating elements, local plants and educational display could be found along the walking experience. The site also preserves existing mature trees possibly in the process, especially a few old olive trees. Through the cooperation with civil engineer, planting along foothill of rocky cliffs was made possible to conquer slope conditions.

The stormwater management toward the site development is essential. Roof rainwater harvest system, low impact development methods (LIDs) such as permeable paving, bioretention basins, usage of low water demand plants, local species, the calculation of water preservation as for reducing irrigation were fully employed in the landscape design.

The Shops at the Ridge is not just a place for shopping, but also the lung of the city, a land that breathes, a site that tells stories.