A Year in Review
A People-First San José
Inspiration from the civic commons in 2023
Be inspired in the new year with reflections from cities across the country using their civic assets to build trust, connect people of all backgrounds and deliver more resilient communities. Today, the sixth in our series of photo essays reflecting on the past year of progress features the civic commons work in San José.
Making outdoor dining permanent
The SJ Al Fresco Initiative, launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, created opportunities for socially distanced dining to support the survival of the city’s restaurants, cafés, bars and shops, and transformed San José’s urban environment in ways that are consistent with the city’s larger goals of creating vibrant commercial corridors and walkable neighborhoods. It continues to be a popular way to advance economic recovery and enliven streets.
In 2023, the City of San José began transitioning businesses with temporary Al Fresco parklets into permanent parklets. The City has made grants available to support the design and construction of permanent parklets; however, the cost of construction has been a limiting factor for businesses. Therefore the City is working with the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) to develop off-the-shelf options for parklet designs. In line with recommendations developed by SPUR, in collaboration with businesses and community partners, it is hoped that this permanent parklet program will transform more parking, street and sidewalk spaces into outdoor places to dine, drink and gather. When well-programmed and developed with attention to design and maintenance, these spaces can contribute to vibrant streets and a strong sense of local stewardship.
Creating people-oriented streets
Downtown San José’s historic San Pedro Square district has a long history of hosting large-scale public events and celebrations. In 2020, the pandemic spurred a temporary street closure on a portion of San Pedro Street to support local businesses and allow for safer gathering, as the City permitted expanded outdoor seating and business operations under the Al Fresco program. The closure quickly became a hit with residents, visitors and businesses alike. However, with the expiration of emergency orders, San Pedro’s temporary closure could not go on forever. Buoyed by community support, the San José City Council in October 2023 took action to invoke the Pedestrian Mall Law, paving the way toward a permanent closure. A public hearing in January is the final step in this legal process. Throughout the process, the City and partners like the San José Downtown Association have worked to facilitate business needs, keep the community engaged and work through logistical issues presented by a street closure.
A similiar pilot project closed Post Street, a historic commercial enclave in the heart of downtown, to cars from Thursday to Sunday over the course of a year. The closed street became a safe and vibrant place for people to dine, shop and socialize. In August, the pilot program was extended and staff was directed to begin the process of a permanent closure by the end of 2024. The program has been well received by business owners and the public. Business owners carried out most of the logistics and labor required to close and reopen the street, with the support from local clean-and-safe program Groundwerx, funded by the City of San José. The additional activation opportunities made possible by the closure have supported San José’s LGBTQ+ community. Formalized as Qmunity District, the neighborhood regularly hosts markets, block parties and live music. During the past year, over 75,000 people visited the pedestrianized Post Street — and in a survey of 900 people, 84% supported permanently closing and activating the four-block area. The project was a collaboration of the City of San José’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, the San José Downtown Association and Project MORE.
Expanded bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
Another linchpin of efforts to make Downtown San José friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists is the Park Avenue Paseo project. Working with landscape architecture firm CMG, several years ago the City developed a plan for a walkable, beautiful and inviting paseo that would run along the Park Avenue corridor downtown and connect two major parks, Guadalupe River Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The plan includes enhanced landscaping, off-street bicycle lanes and a curbless pedestrian walkway that encourages visitors to linger. When completed, the project would transform a ho-hum car-oriented street and complete a grand paseo from San José State University to the Guadalupe River.
The problem has been funding. Fortunately, developers controlling key positions along Park Avenue bought into the vision and agreed to integrate portions of the project into their off-site improvements. Earlier this year, construction finished on 200 Park Avenue, a 1 million square foot office building from developer Jay Paul Co. (the first new major “spec” office building downtown since 2009). The completion of the project brought the vision out of the renderings and into reality, showing the possibilities Downtown San José can achieve when sticking to an ambitious vision. Over the fall, Park Avenue played host to a monthly street fair series called Feast Mode that served as something of a coming-out party for the paseo project.
Engaging creatives in park activation
In Guadalupe River Park, free programming through Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and partners keeps activities accessible and affordable to the entire public, while activating the park into a community space for relaxation, play, and connection.
Summer and fall brought new events, Art is the Wave and Friendsgiving: The Art Show, that engaged creatives in park activation. Both events provided a space for people to immerse themselves in local art, vendors, and crafts, as well as enjoy civic nature while meeting fellow community members. Friendsgiving also included a canned food and coat drive, with donations going to Sacred Heart Community Service, a San José-based charity organization. Local coffee shop Nirvana Soul partnered on each of these events, further expanding nonprofit and small business solidarity, as well as broadening the impact of public parks to a wider variety of community members.
Art is the Wave utilized the newly expanded Rotary PlayGarden, San José’s first all-inclusive playground, which finished its expansion and opened to the public in the summer. Since opening day in June, parents and children alike have had a blast enjoying the PlayGarden’s new amenities including the zipline, additional swings, climbing structures and more. There are also plenty of places to sit and lounge under the new large shade structure. The expansion was funded by a County of Santa Clara All-Inclusive Playground Grant, along with support by the Rotary Club of San Jose, San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, and Office of Councilmember Dev Davis.
And in early May, San José Walls and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy joined forces for another Artist in Residency (AIR) showcase to produce more murals along the Guadalupe River Art Walk, an outdoor gallery displaying various art styles. This year’s AIR was Ruben Escalante, Visual Artist and Director of the Teen Tech Center at MACLA, a contemporary arts space committed to emerging Latino artists and audiences.
Celebrating Eastside Grown graduates: Value creation in action
Veggielution operates a community farm in San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood and supports underrepresented entrepreneurs by uplifting the understanding that community members most affected by systemic issues are closest to the solutions for these systemic issues. The Eastside Grown food entrepreneurship and advocacy program is part of the Sí Se Puede Collective Jobs to Grow Initiative and promotes agency, neighborhood belonging and economic mobility for low-income immigrant food workers. Each year over the course of eight months, a cohort of 20–25 entrepreneurs completes business skills training and leadership development in all aspects of home-based and mobile food business development. This program supports food entrepreneurs from East San José and it has demonstrated that with technical and financial support, our community is happy to continue being an engine of economic growth in San José.
Some of the program’s recent accomplishments over the past year include:
- Over 70% of program participants obtained their food manager certification. As a result, the food they provide to their families and clients is safer.
- This year Veggielution distributed almost $100K to help 17 food businesses start or grow their operations.
- The program team helped people to obtain their business licenses. Businesses that obtained their licenses include 2 farmers’ market vendors, 2 food trucks, 4 catering businesses and 3 home based businesses using the cottage food and Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) models.
Restoring and nurturing our tree canopy
In February, over 100 trees were planted in Guadalupe Gardens’ Historic Orchard, thanks to help from Guadalupe River Park Conservancy staff, volunteers and partners UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. Tree varieties included olive, apple, pear and persimmon, to name a few, and were chosen based on climate resilience as well as their significance to the region once known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. Replanting efforts enable continued restoration and expansion of the park’s tree canopy and capacity to support local food systems.
In April, the Conservancy hired its first staff Horticulturist, to provide in-house subject matter expertise to further the restoration and expansion of the park’s demonstration gardens, including the Historic Orchard, Heritage Rose Garden and Rotary PlayGarden.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners.
