Robin Abad Ocubillo

Robin Abad Ocubillo is a dedicated public servant with a passion for civic innovation in public space design, planning, evaluation, and policy. He is currently the Citywide Ombuds at the City Administrator's office in Oakland, CA in a newly created role centering citywide equity and neighborhood resiliency through civic innovation across departments and agencies. Before that, he served as Director of Shared Spaces San Francisco, the City’s banner public space programs that built upon Places for People, the first placemaking ordinance of its kind in the country for which Robin was the City’s principal planner. He shepherded its legislation into a permanent program that continues to evolve in helping communities leverage the public realm for economic recovery, social and psychological wellbeing.

During a decade-plus at the SF Planning Department, Robin led the Central Waterfront - Dogpatch Public Realm Plan which resulted in millions of dollars of public investment in streetscapes and open space; and climate adaptation in the Bayview. Before that he served for several years as a Project Manager in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Golden Gate National Recreation Area, working on cultural landscape and visitor access projects at sites throughout Bay Area parklands. An international expert in the field of public space, he has spoken and published widely on public space evaluation.

Robin also brings extensive experience on governance and fiduciary boards, policy and organizational strategy. He currently serves on the board of the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts Yerba Buena Center of the Arts, and of Illuminate the Arts. He is board member emeritus Youth Arts Exchange and has held executive roles on the boards of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC). Other committee service includes Dreaming Spaces with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust, and a founding member of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza.

Robin is also curator and editor of social practice art; with past projects at The Global Cultural Districts Network The Global Cultural Districts Network, SF Urban Film Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and SFMOMA. For nearly twenty years, he has volunteered with the Frameline San Francisco LGBTQ Film Festival and currently serves on their screening committee