City of Berkeley

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/

Civic Involvement

Berkeley is famous for its high rate of civic involvement and lively democratic process. Most city councils don't have to worry about overflow crowds at meetings, but it happens here -- even when meetings last until 1 a.m.

Politics aren't the only way residents get involved. Community members are actively involved in neighborhood issues such as crime prevention and disaster readiness, and they work with teams of city staff on problems like graffiti, neighborhood crime, and earthquake preparedness.

Berkeley has more than 40 boards and commissions that allow about 350 residents to advise the Council on topics from aging to zoning.

Voter Profile

63 percent are Democrats
5 percent are Republicans
5 percent are Green Party members
24 percent decline to state
3 percent other

Housing

Even though Berkeley is geographically small, it is one of the most densely populated in the Bay Area. From the beautiful views of the Berkeley hills to the art and industry of West Berkeley lies a fascinating mix of distinct, flavorful and constantly evolving neighborhoods.

Transit

In a region as bustling as the Bay Area, transportation is practically an obsession. Berkeley works hard to make mass transit easy and accessible to all, which includes services such as taxi and van service for the elderly and the disabled.

Berkeley makes up only 7 percent of Alameda County's population, but more than 37 percent of the county's population of people who walk and ride bikes to work.

Every Berkeley resident is within a quarter mile of a bus stop.
All AC Transit local bus lines connect with a BART station.
There are more than 15 miles of designated bike routes.
The City of Berkeley partners with City CarShare to enable employees to take public transit to work.

Health

In order to be a strong community, we need to be a healthy community. That's why Berkeley is one of the only cities in the state to have its own public health department. Berkeley also offers mental health services, youth employment and senior services to help support our residents. A few of our unique services include:

Mobile health services provide crisis interventions for suicide, homicide, threats, and drug abuse.

Services are offered in many languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese;

Disaster preparedness for public health emergencies like infectious diseases;

Public health issues like prenatal care, HIV/AIDS, chronic disease prevention, and health disparities.

Public Works and the Environment

Improving our natural environment is another important aspect of how we live in Berkeley. Our innovations in recycling and waste reduction are a model for communities across the country, and we'll continue to find ways to keep our streets, streams and Bay clean.

When it comes to "Think Global/Act Local," Berkeley is leading the pack. Globally, we are working to reduce energy consumption, slow global warming, and create technologies that will help business and industry do more with less (see our Measure G page for more information about reducing greenhouse gases in Berkeley).

Locally, we are working to reduce waste, increase recycling and build energy-efficient buildings. Every year:

City crews remove an average of 150,000 square feet of graffiti;

We conduct 10 free neighborhood cleanups;

We sweep up 3,000 tons of debris that otherwise would have polluted the bay;

We pick up more than 3,500 tons of litter;

We exceed the 50 percent recycling goal by diverting more than 27,000 tons of waste from the landfill.

Learn more on our website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/