Richard A. Walker

Richard A. Walker is professor of geography at the University of California at Berkeley and author, most recently, of The Country in the City: The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area.Visit ebparks.org/activities/events to find out about 75th-anniversary events.

The Lungs of the City

October 1, 2009 •  by

In 1934, local voters created the East Bay Regional Park District, the nation’s largest regional park district. Today, as the district celebrates its 75th anniversary, challenges abound: Sea level rise threatens shoreline parks, the recession and budget crises affect park operations, and a growing human population puts increasing pressure on open space. Nevertheless, the district continues to thrive, with strong public support for land purchases and an unsurpassed combination of diverse wildlife habitats and accessible parks that attract millions of visitors every year.