Surveys & Conversations:

In the two hours that we were at the Fair, we spoke with well over a hundred people. Since people were leisurely experiencing the fair, they had plenty of time to talk to us and fill out survey forms. We spoke with local folks, people who were new to the neighborhood, people from West Oakland and people who live in East Oakland. We spoke with people of all ages and colors.

It was interesting to note that most of the survey responses were very positive about Oakland in general and West and East Oakland in specific. In some of our previous conversations with people, responses about West and East Oakland have been predominantly negative, such as “ghetto, dangerous, dirty”. At the street fair, we had included with some negative responses, we also had some inspirational responses such as “Victorian homes, up and coming, progressive, funky, cheap”.

What impresses us consistently is how sincere, serious and honest people are when they participate in the project. It is exciting for us to see how this adventure has become a platform for sharing people’s opinions and engaging in an important city dialog.