Polaris Village

Polaris Village, formerly Golden Gate Fields, is a new urban community inspired by the guiding light of the North Star, situated on a 140-acre site located in both Albany and Berkeley, that boasts unparalleled views of the Bay, Bay Shore Trail access, and close proximity to UC Berkeley. Designed to be a model for future developments by blending art, culture, living with water, and community, we envision a new, walkable, urban village with welcoming publicly accessible waterfront space designed for the local community and economy that frames the local landscape and city skyline, promotes ecological restoration, and strengthens people’s connection to the water and the Bay through thoughtful programming and design.

Our vision began with the principles: Reconnect, Recognize, Restore. This project intends to Reconnect the community with the water and each other, Recognize the history and respective cultures of the area and Restore the connection between the waterfront and its ecologies to both cities.  Polaris Village represents a forward-thinking approach that will serve as a North star for future projects that aim to create inclusive, sustainable, and culturally rich environments.

Polaris Village was the final project for RDEV 270 Development + Design Studio in the terminal semester of UC Berkeley’s Master of Development + Design program, and was a collaboration across disciplines between myself, another MRED+D student Chris Desponds, and City Planning student Dini Amatullah. Final presentations were attended by former Mayor of Albany John Miki, representatives from Bay Conservation and Development Commission, US Army Corps of Engineers, Berkeley City Planning, and developers who have worked on Mission Rock and Treasure Island.