MEET SAM

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     I’m Sam Gould, a resident of the Park Avenue District. I served on Emeryville’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, helping to reimagine how we use our streets. I am a graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and am currently working as a game developer at Obsidian Entertainment. An avid climber, I spend my downtime cycling to the many climbing gyms and rock parks in the area.

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     I moved to Emeryville with my wife Alexis after learning of the great strides the city had made in providing safe and convenient options for public transportation and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure. We wanted to live in a place where we could safely walk and bike alongside our future children, and somewhere that had ample housing opportunities so they wouldn’t be pushed away by rising rents. 

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     Other cities fight hard to prevent the built environment from changing, mostly at the expense of their most vulnerable residents. But Emeryville is different; it knew that it had to change to protect those that lived there. Every day I am inspired by the effort that both our city staff and residents put in to make our community as welcoming as possible to those of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. 

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     We face many difficult challenges with unprecedented levels of homelessness, traffic violence, and high construction costs in a time where the city budget is already tight. Change is hard, but we must keep up the momentum. Using real, data backed solutions, I am ready to help navigate our city through this difficult time. Emeryville voters have shown they want better too, passing one of the largest per capita affordable housing bonds in the entire region. The message is clear, we want Emeryville to be a place for everyone.