ADVOCACY
In all his advocacy work, Judge John Sutter sought to improve access to parks, trails and open spaces for all.
One Leader’s Commitment to Equitable Access of the Bay Area Shoreline By Erich Pfuehler and Lisa Baldinger
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s a kid, former East Bay Regional Park District Director Judge John Sutter flew model airplanes along the Oakland, California, shoreline. His childhood experiences led this dedicated Oaklander into a lifetime of staunch advocacy aimed at expanding public access to the shoreline. Nearly everywhere he went, he would declare: “There should be a park here!” With time, Sutter’s beloved shoreline became less and less accessible as development dominated the landscape. What began as a patchwork of docks, quays, wharves and beltline railways boomed into an international airport and other industrial sites. With the development of Interstate 880 in 1972, the City of Oakland and its residents became largely separated from their shoreline. By the early 2000s, there was only one location in Oakland where passengers on Bay Area
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Parks & Recreation
Rapid Transit trains and those on the freeway could see the water and be reminded of natural shorelines close to home. This location along the Oakland-Alameda Estuary became a priority for the determined, now grown, Sutter. In all his advocacy work, Sutter, who passed away in May 2021, sought to improve access to parks, trails and open spaces for all. Equity was a critical pillar in his work. As a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County, California, for 14 years
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and at-large City Council member for 11 years, he believed firmly in fairness and inclusion. This drive for equitable access led Sutter to ensure the Oakland shoreline was preserved and forever accessible to the public. Sutter’s goals were complemented by the work of others. To increase public shoreline access, such as the OaklandAlameda Estuary location that inspired Sutter, the California Legislature adopted an aspirational law to create a 500-mile trail network around San Francisco Bay, known locally as the Bay Trail. Of this national model, some 350 miles are complete today and used regularly by commuters and recreationists alike. The remaining gaps, however, are the most
