Dyett & Bhatia is working in close partnership with the City of Oakland, BART, MTC, the Peralta Community College District, and a range of stakeholders and community members to develop a Station Area Plan for the Lake Merritt BART Station in Oakland. The planning area encompasses Chinatown, Laney College, the Oakland Museum of California, civic buildings of Alameda County and the City of Oakland, and the channel connecting Lake Merritt to the estuary. There are many diverse residents, students, and commercial businesses.

The Plan aims to establish a multi-modal, equitable neighborhood that is safe and vibrant, and that celebrates and enhances the heritage of Chinatown. The Plan will recommend guidelines for new development, including types of land uses and building design, as well as identify improvements to streets, sidewalks, public parks, and other public spaces that further activate the neighborhood and improve accessibility and safety. The project will also include an Environmental Impact Report.

Extensive community engagement is a critical component of the planning process. A joint effort between Dyett & Bhatia and City staff has resulted in extensive outreach, including community workshops, neighborhood teas, stakeholder interviews, community stakeholder group meetings, and input from a technical advisory committee. Public workshop materials and meeting facilitation have been multilingual in order to serve the diverse neighborhood.