Case Studies

Background

North Fair Oaks is one of the oldest communities in San Mateo County, with settlement dating to the early 1850s. As an unincorporated portion of the County, the Board of Supervisors authorized the formation of the North Fair Oaks Community Council in 1990 to provide recommendations on issues of community health, safety, welfare, public works and planning for the North Fair Oaks geographic area.

Challenge

Much of the area was developed during two boom eras, one following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and another occurring just before World War II. North Fair Oaks was originally part of a larger area known as Fair Oaks that included much of present day Atherton, but when Menlo Park and Atherton incorporated in 1923, the area between the two communities remained unincorporated. Today, approximately 798 acres in size, North Fair Oaks is home to a diverse mix of land uses and multiple areas of very different character.

Wanting to further unify this vibrant, diverse community, Warren Slocum, San Mateo County Supervisor, District 4, spearheaded the initiative, North Fair Oaks Forward (NFO Forward), in 2013. His goal was to bring these diverse interests together to implement the North Fair Oaks Community Plan and to inspire other projects of interest to the community in order to enhance the quality of life for all who live and work in North Fair Oaks.

Solution

Nimbus Design met with youth, business owners, parents, school board officials, County and Council elected officials and community leaders to ascertain the objectives for this website - in other words, what did each want the community to know about their specific program, activity, project or plan. From there, Nimbus interviewed contributors for relevant content and pulled it all together in this interactive, bilingual, community based website.

Results

The North Fair Oaks Community now has one voice, one presence, with all working together, building the future.