University anchor for urban development and community wealth generation : Berkeley global campus in Richmond, California

Abstract

In 2012, the City of Richmond submitted a proposal and was selected to be home of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Second Campus. The elimination of more than $1.5 billion in federal funding halted the project, after which the Berkeley Global Campus concept was developed and introduced by the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) chancellor. The proposed Berkeley Global Campus is an international research and education hub that Richmond anticipates will anchor a revitalized waterfront district. The campus is an opportunity to build from the ground up a university campus that will also generate wealth for the local community. Richmond is grappling with challenges that are familiar to many cities: 1) how to enable redevelopment of a vacant, previously industrial site, and 2) how to shape a university-community partnership that facilitates deep economic impact in communities in areas including employment, local procurement, and housing. As UC Berkeley and the City of Richmond remain committed to realizing the vision for the university campus, this period can be utilized to articulate a deliberative and inclusive planning process building on the planning and collaborative infrastructure already in place. This thesis explores how the City of Richmond can help facilitate the university campus development and achieve social goals based on wealth creation.