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East 14th is San Leandro's "Main Street." It is the City's major commercial spine and has a 150-year history as a transportation route linking the cities of the East Bay. The East 14th Corridor is home to many of the City's retail shops, its largest hospital, its largest shopping center, numerous local service businesses, and even City Hall. At the same time, the Corridor is one of San Leandro's most persistent urban design challenges. Much of the street is visually stark and lacks a strong sense of identity or character. Shallow, narrow parcels and close proximity to residential uses make large- scale redevelopment difficult. During the coming decade, the City will pursue strategies and programs to improve the image and competitiveness of the Corridor so that it becomes a viable destination not only for nearby neighborhoods but for residents from throughout San Leandro. Prior to World War H, East 14th was a two-lane highway with an electric streetcar operating down the median. Much of the development in the Downtown area and points north dates from the streetcar era, with pedestrian -oriented shops sited close to the street and little or no parking provided on -site. By contrast, most of the area between Downtown and Bayfair Mall was developed in the post-war era. This section of the street was developed for convenient auto access, with buildings set back a considerable distance from the street, prominent signs, and large parking lots. With little design control or coordination, the area had evolved into a quintessential commercial strip by the late 1950s. Both the pre-war and post-war sections of East 14th Street entered a period of transition in the 1960s and 70s as competition from larger suburban shopping centers and changes in consumer behavior made retailing more difficult. Some of the buildings deteriorated and some were replaced by newer auto -oriented uses. Although the street continued to function as a viable shopping area, there was a growing emphasis on drive -through type businesses, and automotive service and repair uses. These uses have generally not been sympathetic to the high quality of adjacent neighborhoods and have perpetuated the image of the street as an uninspiring commercial strip rather than a series of neighborhood centers. Signs of disinvestment and neglect in some areas have heightened these perceptions. The current interest in smart growth and pedestrian -friendly development signals the next phase in the evolution of the East 14th corridor. As the busiest local transit route in the East Bay (more than 23,000 riders a day use AC Transit's 82 Line), the street provides an opportunity for a denser and less auto -dependent development pattern. North of Downtown San Leandro, this effectively means going "back to the future" by w