Through a unique style of stewardship, 10,000 Steps has been exploring downtown Oakland’s historic parks. These parks—Jefferson Square, Lafayette Square, Madison Square, and Lincoln Square, each occupying only one city block—are tiny spots of open space in the urban fabric, places where tai chi practitioners, men gathering for a pick-up game of basketball, kids in after-school programs, mothers with strollers, and the homeless all come together.

10,000 Steps will result in a permanent meandering neighborhood narrative, ‘Walking the Invisible City’. This looped walk, marked with permanent conversational sidewalk stepping stones, will reveal the city within the city: hidden local lore, architectural and cultural history, and points of urban transformation all centered around these four historic parks. This anthropological stewardship effort will revive and preserve multi-layered stories to engage pedestrians with Oakland’s changing cityscape.

Project Partners

Walking the Invisible City

Check here for updates about downtown Oakland's first self-guided walking tour.

A Profile of Four Squares

This multimedia installation at Oakland's Pro Arts Gallery showcased the history of these parks and the diverse communities that surround them through image, text, maps and video. In celebration of the completion first phase of the 10,000 Steps project, the exhibit incorporated an innovative series of events to familiarize the public with the parks and their neighborhoods. Learn more about the exhibit here.

10,000 Steps Archive

Stories, photos and maps documenting the development of 10,000 Steps.