UC Berkeley Can Build Student Housing At Historic People's Park, California Supreme Court Rules
HuffPost
The park was founded in 1969 as part of the era’s free speech and Civil Rights Movement and for decades served as a gathering space for free meals and community projects.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California Supreme Court ruling Thursday will allow the University of California to build much-needed student housing at Berkeley’s historic People’s Park, capping years of protests over plans for the landmark that is a touchstone of counterculture movements.
The court ruled that a new law enacted in 2023 invalidates the claims by two local organizations that sued the school, saying more students living in downtown Berkeley would add noise pollution to an already dense area. The project set off years of protests over the park.
California is desperate for more housing of all types, including for students at its public universities and colleges. Some students sleep in their cars, crash on friends’ couches, or commute hours to attend class due to limited space in dorms and nearby apartments.
The court noted that Berkeley provides housing to the lowest percentage of students compared to other schools in the UC system.
UC Berkeley plans for a $312 million housing complex for about 1,100 of its students at the 3-acre (1.2-hectare) People’s Park set off a yearslong fight by protesters and others who want to preserve the park. Protests have at times escalated into skirmishes between police and activists. The park was founded in 1969 as part of the era’s free speech and Civil Rights Movement and for decades served as a gathering space for free meals, community gardening and art projects, and was used by homeless people.