zoning changes in decades. I also reviewed and provided technical input on the Downtown Specific Plan, and the final approval of Oak Knoll development and the California College of the Arts campus. As current chair of the Zoning Update Committee and the Design Review Committee, I focus to make sure applications are reviewed with objective and equitable standards. I am now also one of the most senior members of the Commission, and will help to mentor newer Commissioners. I bring focus, respect, and dedication to the Commission, and hope for the opportunity to continue. As a planner at OakDOT, I developed and implemented the City's multi-million dollar Paving Plans, the first plans of their type in the country to use demographic factors to prioritize capital investments to address historic discrepancies in neighborhoods across the City. I also co-developed the Geographic Equity Toolbox, which is now used in many City departments to help staff make data-informed decisions to prioritize resources and investments in high priority areas of Oakland. A central tenet of the Planning Commission should be to recognize, address, and prevent institutional harm to Oaklanders who experienced historic and current disparities. I have the first hand experience of not only developing but also implementing new government policies and practices that center race and equity in Oakland. In addition, as a prior member/leader in Oakland's IFPTE Local 21 chapter, I will continue to support Oakland staff and advocate for robust public investments so staff can do their best work and provide the high quality services that Oaklanders deserve. In my current role at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), I continue to support Oakland and our broader region by working to better integrate our transit systems through initiatives like: free transfers between different operators such as BART and AC Transit; better aligned schedules across the region; and creating unified wayfinding signage for all Bay Area transit agencies to improve rider experience and accessibility. As a long time resident, I have seen Oakland change and grow, and the City has sometimes struggled to provide opportunities for every Oaklander to thrive.
To address our housing crisis, Oakland must prioritize each piece of the production, preservation, protection framework: produce more housing at all income levels to meet our RHNA goals (especially for below market rate units in high opportunity areas), preserve existing affordable housing through innovative funding programs and regulations, and protect renters to keep families in Oakland and prevent more neighbors from living on our streets. I have also continued my commitment to addressing societal inequities outside of work as a leader in Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Bay Area Chapter for 9 years. There I have led work to move, organize, mobilize, and educate white people to be part of multi racial movements for justice. As a renter, daily bus rider, and young person, I will also bring a unique perspective to the Commission. With the Land Use and Transportation Element updates in motion and other General Plan updates on the horizon, the Planning Commission will play a critical role in defining what Oakland will be like for the coming generations. We need Planning Commissioners who are not afraid to challenge historic inequities and work to create, build, and sustain a just and equitable Oakland for all Oaklanders. With my unique experience as a professional planner, former city employee, long-time resident, and current City Planning Commissioner, I'm ready to continue serving the people of Oakland in this capacity.
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JOSIE AHRENSI she/her/hers PLANNING EXPERIENCE _______________ Regional Network Management Program Coordinator I Metropolitan Transportation Commission San Francisco, CA I March 2025 - present • Oversee $185M in funding for regional transit initiatives that make Bay Area transit more seamless, affordable, and reliable for riders, such as fare discounts, new mapping and wayfinding signage, transit priority projects, and accessibility initiatives • Staff Regional Network Management Customer Advisory Group as committee secretary, translate technical information into format legible to the general public Planning Commissioner I City of Oakland Planning Commission Oakland, CA I May 2023 - present I Mayoral Appointee • Review and approve Josie Ahrens