Name/Title
Records of Urban CareEntry/Object ID
1994.001Scope and Content
Urban Care was a Berkeley activist organization founded in 1966 that lasted until about 1988. It was started by members of a neighborhood group who created a petition in 1965 against a new traffic plan that included a proposal to widen a number of local streets in the city. After the success of that effort, they decided to form an organization that would address concerns about the future of Berkeley’s physical environment and, more generally, the quality of urban life in Berkeley. Urban Care quickly expanded its interests to address a wide range of issues, including population growth, regional planning, land use, parks, air pollution, trash disposal, and development of the waterfront, among many others. Urban Care had a newsletter, hosted a long running series of conferences, prepared reports, and worked closely with public officials and other regional advocacy organizations. Urban Care seems to have been remarkably influential. As an example, the Architectural Preservation Committee formed in about 1969 led to the passage of Berkeley’s first historic preservation ordinance, and ultimately to the creation of the Berkeley Architectural History Association (BAHA). Urban Care’s efforts related to the development of Berkeley’s waterfront prevented the creation of a regional shopping mall and led to the development of the state and local waterfront parks we have today. Urban Care operated through a set of committees, each focused on a specific issue. Leadership for most of its life was provided by Rosalind Lepawsky, who served as the organization’s executive director for at least 20 years.
The collection has 4 boxes and has been divided into two series; Series 1 contains papers related to the operation of Urban Care as an organization (e.g., minutes, correspondence, newsletters), material on events hosted by Urban Care, and subject matter files excluding activities related to the Berkeley waterfront. Series 2 contains materials exclusively concerning the waterfront.
Map with signatures relating to bay trail in OVERSIZE C (found rolled 4/2017); poor condition with tears.Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
FondsNomenclature Primary Object Term
ArchiveNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsDimensions
Dimension Description
4 Cartons