A Milvia Street redesign proposed by a team of students participating in the Summer [IN]STITUTE's [IN]CITY cohort is gaining traction after being adopted by Bike East Bay, a cyling advocacy group based in Oakland. "We have an opportunity to make this a high priority in Berkeley's updated Bicycle Plan, and get it built by March 2017," reports Bike East Bay's Dave Campbell.

The study, titled Bikes Mean Business, revealed that 72% of Downtown Berkeley shoppers walk, ride or take transit to their destination, and that they spend more money than driving shoppers do when they get there. Says 2015 [IN]CITY alumna Danielle Glaser, "To increase business, merchants should cater to people who bike."

Berkeley is revising its Bicycle Plan for the first time since 2005, describing the document as "an important component of the Climate Action Plan." Berkeleyside estimates funding for bicycle-related programs at $7.5 million, a marked increase over previous years.

The article "Milvia Street Bikeway Campaign Starts" details the students' findings and recommendations, and the complete report can be found in the student galleries on the Summer [IN]STITUTE program page.

The Milvia Street concept is not the only [IN]CITY client project garnering official municipal attention since the 2015 Summer [IN]STITUTE dissembled: a provocative proposal for the I-980 freeway is currently making its way through the City of Oakland's public hearing process.

These two proposals represent auspicious beginnings for participants in the Summer [IN]STITUTE, which is structured as a six-week introductory program for recent graduates with no prior experience in the field of environmental design.