Thread by @IDoTheThinking

My take on People's Park is that there's a generational shift. It's not the 1960s anti-Vietnam War, pro-free speech uprising and the current issues facing UC students are homelessness and the housing shortage. UC is taking advantage of this cultural shift by settling an old score

https://twitter.com/sfchronicle/status/1445131399279702033

I've been sitting around Berkeley listening to old people talk about their days at People Park. Yesterday I discovered my Gramps planted trees during the park battles. The sense I get is disappointment but also a "what can you do, time is linear and we're old" attitude.

Meanwhile many UC students have talked about People's Park and the sense I get is that most are supportive or apathetic. They want more housing and don't see the 1960s movements as relevant to current issues in the world.

UC is purposely using their most controversial sites (Peoples Park, Oxford Garden, Walnut Apts) for student housing as a way to make the broader pro-housing public choose between history or homes. While reserving non-controversial sites for less sympathetic office/sports projects

UC is betting that with Berkeley's culture turning very pro-housing for the first time thanks to the housing crisis (remember People's Park happened during the apartment revolt) and UC student body so traumatized by apartment hunting and overcrowding, everyone will just go along.

My take is I dont like building on parks (even if its just a portion) and for its cultural significant I would've never touched the park. UC should build housing skyscrapers like these on all its parcels not just this one. My concern is whether the homeless get housing or not.