34th Ave Site Conditions

Existing Green Space on 34th Avenue

From 2020-2022, 34th Avenue between Foothill Blvd. and Peralta Hacienda Historical Park was a designated City of Oakland Slow Street. The Oakland Slow Street program was implemented in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, to transform more city streets into pedestrian-oriented spaces. While the formal Slow Street program itself has been transformed into the Essential Places program, involving far fewer streets, 34th Avenue will continue to be a low volume street due to the fact that it dead ends at PHHP - therefore only serving the residents of the street, those accessing the back entrances to the schools, park goers, and pedestrians walking through the neighborhood.

Although there is a sidewalk on both sides of the road, it is only 6 feet wide and includes very little space for planted medians. Most of the existing medians are bare ground. These medians can be an opportunity for pollinator friendly plants.

Our research and resulting schematics reveal that there is great potential for pollinator habitat in residential green spaces and schoolyard green spaces. Establishing pollinator habitats in just some of these opportunity sites can contribute to a pollinator corridor and support the local ecology. With future community engagement, the pollinator corridor project can learn from local residents about the details of life in their neighborhood, informing future opportunity pollinator support efforts.

Section A illustrates general street characteristics and greenspace between the Patten Academy and Life Academy schools.

Section B showcases the amount of greenspace that exist on private properties and along the sidewalk medians. While there are street trees along the sidewalks, there is not much additional space for pollinator habitat, as much of the sidewalk median is paved. Private front yards offer the most greenspace for pollinator-friendly plants.

Impervious Surfaces

Most parcels along 34th Avenue are made up of 60% or more impervious surface cover. Only at the park itself is there less impervious surface on several adjacent blocks.

Normalized Difference Vegetative Index

A normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) provides data on the greenspace and hardscape of an area. Healthy vegetation will reflect near infrared light and absorb red light.


This graphic indicates that a majority of the site is not absorbing red light, meaning that it is largely covered by hardscape or unhealthy vegetation.


Looking at the parcels, the south side of 34th Ave has more healthy vegetation than the north side. This is largely due to the fact that Peralta Creek runs through a culvert along the southside of the street and has adjacent greenspace.

Continue to read more about the opportunities that 34th Avenue presents through this analysis by accessing the button below