Spotlight: A Complete Vision Bancroft Business District

from UPENN Workshop Plan - Oakland District 6

Environment & Transit

A Complete Vision for Bancroft Business District

The strategies discussed this far span the four goals of environment, transit, economy, and housing, but they start to converge together around specific locations within the District. One such location is the Bancroft Business district, a major area of opportunity in the flats. Within the Bancroft Business District is Eastmont Town Center which hosts numerous public agencies and services making it a site with excellent potential for development that better serves residents’ needs as a commercial and community hub.

Taking the proposed strategies together creates a new vision for the space. • Expanded green space and the creation of a plaza would allow for community events and civic engagement while also providing multiple environmental benefits • The transit hub north of Eastmont Center would be improved with clear wayfinding and better ticketing kiosks and integrated with the development of complete streets. • Commercial revitalization around the town center would include improved storefronts and enhanced amenities that bring people together to eat, shop, and play. • Affordable housing development on the strategic sites would ensure that longtime District 6 residents benefit from these amenities going forward.

These interventions not only address physical improvements to the area but propose programs and policies that ensure residents can access said improvements. The proposed Eastmont Town Center redevelopment is a prime example of how to combine all elements of the plan to create a cohesive community hub that serves all residents.

Entrance rendering (Fig. 4.39) Converting a former parking lot to a public plaza creates a welcoming entrance to the tenant support organization and federal credit union.

Plaza rendering (Fig. 4.40) A underutilized city surplus lot can become a hub for community and connection, with a more permanent space for existing programming like the AKOMA market.