UC Berkeley continues with People’s Park student housing development despite continued resistance

When they first moved from their semi-rural hometown, Rico Marisol found the bustle of Berkeley stress-inducing. In early 2021, as a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley, they found solace under the tall, old trees of People’s Park.

UC Berkeley cut down those trees last summer, in preparation for student housing construction on the site, facing pressure due to only having enough on-campus housing to support 20% of its students. Some students, like Marisol, said they are fighting against the development to defend the park’s history, green space, unhoused population and community assistance services.