Court Ruling Allows Student Housing at UC Berkeley’s Iconic People’s Park

A cyclist rides past People's Park in Berkeley, Calif., on March 29, 2022. Many of the trees in the park were toppled on Aug. 3, 2022, during an attempt to start a construction project. A California Supreme Court ruling will allow student housing at University of California to be built at Berkeley's historic People's Park. Eric Risberg/AP Photo

SAN FRANCISCO—People’s Park in Berkeley, which since the Vietnam War has been a site for protests and counterculture movements, can be converted into student housing for the University of California, the state Supreme Court ruled June 6, capping a yearslong legal fight over the landmark.

The court ruled that a new law enacted in 2023 invalidates the claims by two local organizations that sued the school, saying more students living in downtown Berkeley would add noise pollution to an already dense area.