Berkeley: Intersections

The Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism's project, "Bay Area Communities at the Crossroads," captures the changing nature of four California communities with interactive tools and a working prototype of a national database for reporters to share hard-to-find data about cities.

  • The New Town Square
    Explore with resident from three Northern California towns as they struggle to define community in an increasingly suburbanized landscape. This short introductory video blends old techniques (stop motion animation) with the digital platform. Other elements in the package include an interactive map illustrating how these three towns have grown and changed over the last century, and a series of maps where residents describe the places where they find their community.
  • 51st and Telegraph: Exploring a California Intersection
    A busy north Oakland intersection provides a glimpse into the issues facing this gentrifying community. A 360-degree “portal” span of the intersection offers macro- and microscopic looks into property battles, commerce, diversity, transportation and urban landscaping. Includes a blog for residents passing through the intersection to post messages.
  • CityLab: Exploring Communities Up Close
    CityLab.us is a database created by and for reporters that displays demographic and anecdotal data about 65 cities in the Bay Area. It is intended as a working prototype for a national database that allows reporters to compare hard-to-find information about cities all over the country. Each of the thousands of data points is individually sourced, allowing reporters to fact check by visiting the Web site from which the data was pulled or by directly contacting the reporter who contributed the data.
  • BARThood: 4 Bay-Area Neighborhoods Up Close
    This project focuses on four neighborhoods, visualizing demographic data of ridership and aggregating content and news about each area. Includes interactive charts and graphs, slide shows and custom feeds that combine up-to-the-minute Google blogs, Google News, Twitter and Yelp posts specific to each station.