Hella Town: Oakland's History of Development and Disruption

by Mitchell Schwarzer

Hella Town reveals the profound impact of transportation improvements, systemic racism, and regional competition on Oakland’s built environment.
 
Often overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger and more glamorous twin, Oakland has a fascinating history of its own. From serving as a major transportation hub to forging a dynamic manufacturing sector, by the mid-twentieth century Oakland had become the urban center of the East Bay. Hella Town focuses on how political deals, economic schemes, and technological innovations fueled this emergence but also seeded the city’s postwar struggles.
 
Toward the turn of the millennium, as immigration from Latin America and East Asia increased, Oakland became one of the most diverse cities in the country. The city still grapples with the consequences of uneven class- and race-based development-amid-disruption. How do past decisions about where to locate highways or public transit, urban renewal districts or civic venues, parks or shopping centers, influence how Oaklanders live today? A history of Oakland’s buildings and landscapes, its booms and its busts, provides insight into its current conditions: an influx of new residents and businesses, skyrocketing housing costs, and a lingering chasm between the haves and have-nots.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Geography, Cities

424 pages, Hardcover

Published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Ken-ichi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hella Town is a thorough and incisive history of the large, physical stuff in Oakland: the roads, the buildings, the transit lines, the neighborhoods, even the parks and the grocery stores. Schwarzer pays special attention to the role of transportation and race in shaping the form of this city, from streetcars and interstates to redlining and gentrification. It's not exactly a page-turner (this is a UC Press book, after all), but for those of us who live in the Town and can tolerate some academicese, this is a real gem, one we can turn to when we wonder why I-980 exists, or why Oakland lacks the kind of civic center most other cities have.

I should also point out that this book is a real downer, but that's only because Oakland itself is such a downer. Almost every chapter is a chronicle of greed, poor decisions, and missed opportunities, resulting in the city we have today, one with a lot of culture and attitude and great people that largely thrive despite the physical and organizational systems that should support them. If you *like* our mediocre transit options and the mostly-insipid architecture of our buildings, this probably isn't the book for you.

Some notes:

p. 87 Apparently there was *not* a documented conspiracy among car and oil companies to destroy street cars?! I always thought this was fact, but apparently the only thing proven in court was a conspiracy among companies and individuals to monopolize the sale of vehicles and parts to a company they all controlled, *not* to control all streetcar companies and replace them with buses and cars. Though everyone believes there probably was such a conspiracy, even if there's no conclusive evidence to support that.

p. 125 "[Roads to parks] exposed [people] to undeveloped lands along the way, helping urbanites envision a new life in the upper hills." Schwarzer is asserting that regional parks in the East Bay hills and the roads built to access them motivated housing development in those areas. Aside from the bitter irony of incentivizing adjacent habitat destruction by preserving habitat, this is such a strong parallel to gentrification. Even if the primary driver of gentrification is cheap land and housing stock, it's the amenities like coffee shops and restaurants that really accelerate it.

p. 179 I-580's construction was pretty fiercely opposed by the mostly-white homeowners and business associations it displaced, but to no avail.

p. 190 "BART aligned with the promise of the automobile instead of mass transit and its legacy of bad credit, shabby equipment, and disgruntled passengers." Not sure if this was meant to be ironic, but there are few things shabbier or more filled with disgruntled people than a BART car these days. If you want to get around efficiently and in comfort you're going to be in a car.

p. 238, Clinton Park, an area near where I live, was one of the city's first tries at urban renewal after the Federal Housing Act of 1954, which created the FHA. Among other things, it rezoned the area from being exclusively single-family homes to supporting multi-story apartment buildings, not unlike the move away from single-family zoning and its racist history happening in parts of the Bay Area today (e.g. Berkeley, where it was pioneered to keep out Black and Asian people). Schwarzer notes that the project "did not raise the district back to middle-class status" as was originally intended, though I suspect it didn't lower the standard of living either. The apartment buildings are "flimsy" in Schwarzer's opinion, though I'd just go ahead and call them ugly, especially compared the stately Victorians that remain in the area. https://abitofhistory.website/2020/09... covers the project with maps and a mildly-cringy-but-interesting movie from the 50s produced about it.

p. 260 Leona Canyon very nearly became even more houses

p. 262 On the Oakland Hills Fire, "The very homeowners who had craved a suburban-style sanctum high above Oakland's urban malaise, who had voted overwhelmingly for 1978's low-tax Proposition 13, were impacted by chronic shortages now affecting city agencies, including the fire department." Interested in following his citation there. Was the fire department underfunded and how did that affect their response? Maybe worth chasing down Flame and Fortune in the American West.

[Tessa Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough history of Oakland which was definitely of interest since I grew up in the Bay Area and have spent the last several years living in Oakland. It could be dense and some chapters were more interesting (ie how public transit developed over time) than others (ie most of the shopping mall chapter). I would say check it out and you can dive into the areas that are more appealing and skim/skip others.

[Justin Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, informative look into the history of the built environment in Oakland. This should be required reading for OUSD students and Oakland residents. The massive disparities we see today are clearly decoded by reading the history of how Oakland was built and developed for the benefit of a certain class of residents.

[Avi Paulson · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty boring but also cool

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hella dense with details, this book is almost all you'd ever need to know about the mistakes made in creating a world class city. Almost. Oakland's biggest and continued mistake was placing itself as the "fly over" city of the Bay Area. Sure they had some industrial success with their ports and manufacturing for a time. But we all know what happened to towns big on industry. Commuters went through or left Oakland for other destinations. And since that was how they set up the infrastructure, plans to try and change that usually met with limited success. It was almost like you could hear the entire town yelling "Marsha Marsha Marsha Marsha" at San Francisco. The one thing I felt was missing in the book was the more cultural contributions Oakland has made. Sure the author discussed sports and made mention of the continued racial disparities prevalent in the town, but this isn't culture. And yes, food played a bit of part, which is culture. But I expected a bit more about music and art. From rap to Green Day, music from Oakland can definitely be filed under "Disruption" and I was missing it.

[Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great set of various histories of Oakland CA, economic histories of exclusion and business deference, social histories of racism and redlining, constant evolution and change, a great insight into how decisions are made in growing a city at a rare historical era in the Bay Area's growth.

I learned so much about my local area and why it may have evolved to what it is today; really enjoyed learning about what neighborhoods looked like and why the city is laid out as it is presently via the historical twists and turns.

This is a fantastic history of a complicated and growing region.

[Matt Carton · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-1/2. I love me a good civic history. While this giant reach the heights of, say, Mike Davis’s classic on Los Angeles, City of Quartz, it sure did digs hella deep into how Oakland’s white power structure made it an art of slapping band-aids on problems from 1900-1975. As Oakland has been my home for the last 26+ years, this book has given me great insights into what makes it tick. And in the final chapter, the section “Immigrants to the Rescue” really makes me grateful I live here.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense and turgid with mind-boggling detail; not an easy read. But Schwarzer lays out how Oakland developed and changed (port, industrialization, deindustrialization, decline of downtown, failed redevelopment, gentrification and demographic composition) connecting each to larger economic and social forces. This is distinctly not a political history. Mayors and other elected officials are barely mentioned. Schwarzer focuses on the bigger forces of change that were mostly out of the control of or were welcomed by local government.

[Tyler K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that change the way you see the world, and this one definitely did that for me. Had me raging about the demise of street cars, rise of automobiles, missed opportunity for a real (and equitable) parks system, redlining, the development of the supermarket, and so much more - and did an amazing job of weaving all those threads together into one coherent (and very material) narrative.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oakland is a city with hella issues stemming from disinvestment from local governments and economic pressures from San Francisco. In this city of failure, there is a hope for a return to its mid-century status quo. I must praise the author’s relaxed prose for giving what is essentially a case study a more picturesque and comprehensible flavor.

[tyler collin · Rating 3 out of 5]

much much more historical than critical, a little confused as to why. i may have entered this book with the wrong mindset, but it was a bit disappointing when the alleged synthesis of the history into a critical analysis of oakland’s landscape falls flat, due to the meager amount of space it was allowed. had to fill in gaps with my own knowledge, didn’t necessarily learn anything new :/

[Carolynn Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I read an entire book about city planning? 😭

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember how I heard about this book and I have no background in city planning but after reading this book, I wanted to join City Council and perhaps take some classes in city planning. Mr. Schwarzer does a really nice job of taking the reader through Oakland's development with a fairly neutral tone. It's also very accessible and the sections lend themselves to skipping around if one is interested in a particular topic rather than it being a dull chronological read. It definitely made me think about the environment I live in, how cars drove this city's development as well as most in the US. Some in the book club were disappointed that the book didn't have stories from people that lived through it but I think that's a subject for another book and there are some excellent ones out there: "There There", "The 57 Bus" that laser focus on the community. I highly recommend this book to explain both how Oakland was developed, its shortcomings and hopefully more positive actions if one cares to learn from the past.

[Scott Yarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hella loved this book. It contains so much history and vital information about the development of Oakland and the East Bay throughout modern history, from a cultural, sociopolitical, environmental, and architectural standpoint. I learned a lot about this diverse, dynamic city, and especially about how racist, classist, and discriminatory development, and housing policies lead to the layout and landscape of the Town we see today. The book is a must read for residents of Oakland and the Bay Area alike. My only shortcoming I can see was at times too much detail about specific buildings and developments but I am sure that people with more intimate knowledge of the Town and appreciation for architectural details will enjoy those minutiae.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I lived in Oakland for many years and to this day find it a rich and vibrant city, I was disappointed in this book. It didn't engage me or seem to connect to the real Oakland that I knew even when relating facts that I did not know. I usually get through far longer historical writings than this in less time because I kept putting this book down and turning to other history books instead. There is information in this book, but no inspiration.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if you are an Oaklander. Mostly just a recap of Oakland real estate development and simplistic one at that.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an Oakland-born and bred resident, I was interested in how transportation was such a key element to the city’s development. But I was really put off by this book’s relentlessly negative vibe about my town. For instance, the racism discussed in it is real, but it is a scourge throughout the country and not unique to Oakland. Another example is the failure to develop a large urban park such as NYC’s Central Park or SF’s Golden Gate Park; the vast majority of cities the size of Oakland also lack such gems, but our Lake Merritt and the East Bay Regional Park system (headquartered in Oakland) give residents and visitors a great deal of pleasure.

I also think that while quoting Gertrude Stein’s “there is no there there” and putting it into context is important, it would have been appropriate to have given a nod to all the other cultural (and political) icons who call (called) Oakland home: Sheila E., Amy Tan, Tommy Orange, Tom Hanks, the Joyner Sisters, Ismael Reed, Kamala Harris, Clint Eastwood, Earl Warren, and many more. This gritty town has been and continues to be a great incubator for the arts and political acumen. BTW, Granny Goose, Sunshine Biscuits, and Mother’s Cookies are just some of the brands that started in Oakland.

The author discusses how big automobile plants opened, then closed, and why. But I think he doesn’t fully explain that in California, especially on the coast, developing visions result in turnovers in economic modalities. Agrarian to transportation, to sales and industry, then on to education and scientific innovations. All these elements are still important in California, and what we see happening, not only in Oakland, is an evolving series of changes. And yes, with attendant problems in management of changes.

This book was turgid and felt like such a downer. It provided dates and development milestones. It discussed missed opportunities and missteps. But it also missed the reasons why 400,000 people continue to call this home. I’m being generous in giving it 3 stars.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This incredible book greatly improved my perspective on the distinct city where I currently reside. It helped dispel many of the prevalent myths and prejudices I heard throughout my childhood and even during my time at UC Berkeley. I have grown to really appreciate and respect this city and this book helped fill in a lot of the historical and cultural context to do so. The book is fact and data-heavy and provides a very detailed chronological depiction of Oakland's development. Many of the economic and social issues currently facing Oakland can be better understood through the critical lens of the persistent disruption the city has faced throughout its history due to political instability, economic mishaps, and systemic injustice that disproportionately affected low-income immigrant populations and people of color. A similar disruption is currently happening in its newest iteration and this book has made me reflect on my own experience in Oakland and reevaluate the privileges I enjoy that many of my fellow residents are still excluded from.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read for anyone who has lived in Oakland. Tracing through the history and development of Oakland from industrialization to the present, especially focusing on changing modes of transport from streetcars to automobiles and construction of interstates explains why Oakland looks and exists in its current form.

Many historical footnotes mention recognizable locations, from pre-war department stores opening up on Broadway to the construction of the Caldecott tunnel on Hwy 24. This lets you immediately visualize the area mentioned and think about how it was in the past.

The constant mention of racial disparities, while important, seemed heavy-handed and at some points reductionalist.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

wow, what a downer!!! informative and at times dense overview of Oakland's development, focusing on racial and economic inequalities and their impacts on housing, commerce, industry (and de-industry) and transportation. most parts are interesting but i feel like they were interesting in spite of the writing style lmaoooo. the writing is not engaging in the slightest. i'm sorry Mitchell Schwarzer. at least there were pictures.

edit: to be more charitable to this book, it did make me want to read more books about Oakland's development. i would especially like to read one with a focus on schools. and also one that's just about BART. and also one that's by a Black person. if you know of any such books lmk

[Eli]

I wanted to enjoy reading this but it is very dense and academic. The dates frequently bounce around and it’s hard to keep track of what time era is being discussed. Maybe I will give it a try another time. Other readers enjoyed it but had similar expressions. I would like to point out that I found it slightly problematic that the author at some point says the phrase “native whites” when talking about redlining. Which is laughable. There are no native whites. They were all settlers from somewhere else. The author also touts the myth early on in the book that there were no Black people in Oakland until WW2, this is also false.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really I would give this book two ratings- four stars as an academic text and more like three for the general public. I’m a Berkeley native with a strong interest in history, so I had a lot of interest in the subject matter but found a lot of it pretty slow going, especially as it described the policies without describing the people behind it. That might be irrelevant from the point of view of most urban planners, but I would love to know more about the transition from Oakland being run by a few white people to it becoming more diverse in its leadership.

I’m glad I read it, but it was slow going at times.

[brittany v · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super informative, and in that way, fascinating, as a long-time Oakland resident with a family history that is also anchored in Oakland. However, it was also a pretty frustrating read.

The positive takeaway that I was able to glean from the mess that was Oakland’s history of development is that Oakland was never created thoughtfully, or with any consideration for providing a communal home for the diverse array of people who have made their homes and lives in The Town. The fact that there has been such a rich history of communities of people doing big things here in Oakland is a testament to the power of the people, and I found that really inspiring.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo! A straightforward, readable, and apparently well-researched history of a city’s built environment. I have academic and professional experience involving California’s real estate history and municipal government and was impressed with the level of detail and choices made on what to highlight.

You’re not going to get into the weeds too much on social movements or city politics so this is really for urbanists and city planners focusing on California and for residents of Oakland wanting to understand why their city looks the way it does.

[Rohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book certainly paints an interesting story but it relies on a lot of facts, figures, names and people who I don't care or have context about. The entire book needs more pictures of maps in order to indicate where these things are and why they matter. I finally got one map in the civi development project and it was so useful but I wish they were spread throughout the other chapters when talking about highways, roads, and etc. But the core story about how Oakland developed is there and it's fascinating and a good read for that even if it's a bit hard to get through.

[Josiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an Oakland transplant, but this book sufficiently "caught me up". I feel like I now understand this town in a much more profound way by analyzing why things were built where they were and who exactly built them. It's also a wonderful look at how building shape us and the places we live. How the lower bottoms influenced the black panthers, how Lake Merritt's trees were imported to give early dock workers a sense of home. It's a great read.

[Sean B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good history of Oakland. I found it pretty easy to read, and less academic than a similar book ("American Babylon"). It's a great way to learn more about Oakland, and how it developed. It is a pretty broad history and doesn't dive deeply into events or people, but it is a good overview of the city. Definitely recommend!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hella good but so very dense in its coverage of Oakland's real estate and development. Loved the coverage of transportation and its ties to structural racism and inequities as rights-of-way are sold throughout the city. Great for exploring areas of interest, and an impressive case study of an urban development story that's not told as an arc but instead a messy patchwork.

[Zack]

A good but "problematic" book as the kids say because it's really well researched and has a lot of new info I didn't know about before but it also has this neoliberal framing that really bothers me and he ignores a lot of activism. His writing style is also boring as fuck. That being said there's much to learn here and it's worth reading if you're interested in Oakland.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5


Huh. I wasn't expecting it to be SO focused on transportation history. That said, it was compelling. While very detailed, I also felt it needed to be more developed in some areas and it needed to be updated with a post-covid effect world. I get it: it was published in 2021. Perhaps a little more in the Coda. Or a sequel...