Zoning for an Inclusive Future

YCA partnered with Raimi + Associates and the City of Berkeley to visualize new zoning frameworks that balance growth with equity. Through iterative design visions, community meetings, and transparent graphics, we helped residents and policymakers see how “gentle density” can take shape along key commercial corridors.

Our work acknowledges a history of exclusionary zoning and racialized harm while reframing density as a tool for inclusion and community care. By showing how apartments, affordable housing, and mixed-use projects can coexist with existing neighborhoods, YCA helped craft zoning legislation that welcomes both old and new neighbors into a thriving, inclusive city.