When California passed legislation requiring BART to rezone station-adjacent land for transit-oriented development, the City of Berkeley and BART faced a complex challenge — how to reimagine two major stations while honoring the communities that had long called the area home. At stake was not just housing and open space, but the decades-old Ashby Flea Market, a beloved economic hub for marginalized vendors and residents.

D&A implemented a comprehensive, equity-centered community engagement strategy designed to remove barriers, build trust, and ensure the most historically underserved voices — particularly the African American community in South Berkeley — were centered throughout. From stakeholder interviews and 1:1 meetings to collateral development and conflict resolution, D&A guided BART and the City of Berkeley through every phase of the development and design process.