DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE STREET LIFE PLAN · PRIVILEGING THE PUBLIC REALM. This Downtown San Jose Street Life Plan aspires to many goals: • Improves the public realm downtown by developing

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DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE STREET LIFE PLAN

PRIVILEGING THE PUBLIC REALM

This Downtown San Jose Street Life Plan aspires to many goals:

• Improvesthepublicrealmdowntownbydevelopingprojectsandcultivatingactivityintargetedareaswhileincreasingenergybetweenthedowntowndistricts already working;

• Recommendsprovocativeandinspiringprojectsthatattractnewfundingandpartnershipopportunities;• Createsa“menu”ofdiversestreetscapeelementsandlargersite-specificprojectsthatcanbeimplementedover1–10years;• MakesDowntownfriendlierforpeopleofallageswithapragmaticvisiontohelpdowntownpropertyowners,businessesandresidentsflourish.

TheProperty-BasedImprovementDistrict(PBID)commissionedthisStreetLifePlantoguideitscontinuedinvestmentsinbetteringthepedestrianexperi-enceDowntown.Byimprovingthespaceswewalkuponeachday,wealsopromotesafety,beautyandsustainabilityinourdowntown.

Proposalswithinthisplancombine“district-wide”projectsand“specialprojects”uniquetodowntownfocusareas.Allprojectsaimatcreatingahigherqualityoflifethatcontributestodowntown’slong-termvitalityandlivability.

Plus,moreinvitingplacesforustowalkthroughandenjoyourcentercity.

Pleasejoinus,andourpartnersattheCityofSanJose,insupportingthiseffortandachievingthespiritedgoalsoftheDowntownSanJoseStreetLifePlan.

Sincerely,

ScottKniesSanJoseDowntownAssociationExecutiveDirector

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Chapter1:IntroductionChapter2:DowntownAssetsChapter3:DowntownInitiativesChapter4:CharacteristicsofaGoodPublicRealmChapter 5: District-Wide Streetscape Improvement ProjectsChapter6:FocusAreas

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1. INTRODUCTIONPROJECT STATEMENTTheDowntownSanJoseStreetLifePlancreatesavisionandroadmapforanextgenerationofplace-makingandopenspaceimprovementsinthecitycenterbasedonstakeholderinputandalongtermneedsassessment.ThePlanharnessestheideasoftheSanJoseDowntownPropertyBasedImprovementDistrict(PBID)constituentsandstakeholderstoarticulateaguidingvisionandframeinitiatives,anddefinealistofprojectsthroughgoals,guidelinesandconceptualdrawingsthatwillsignificantlyimprovetheflow,usability,sustainability,andbeautyoftheDistrict.ThePlanisa10yeardocumentthatwillbeusedbythePBIDtodirectbothlong-termlargescaleprojectsandshort-termsitespecificprojects,aswellasinformplanningandurbandesignprojectsbyothers.

The Downtown San Jose Street Life Plan has been developed through a process that received input from the diverse mixoftheDowntowncommunity,includingthePBIDBeautificationCommitteethatrepresentstheCity,propertyowners,commercialpropertymanagersandtenants,andinstitutionswithintheDistrict.TheprocessalsoincludedcollaborationwithCityagenciesandSanJoseSPURtoreviewtheStreetLifePlanprojectsinrelationtootherongoingimprovemententerpriseswithintheDistrict.

ThePBIDencompassesthemostimportantareaofSanJose.ItestablishesthedominantimpressionofSanJoseforthemanypeopleattendingconventionsandstayinginhotelswithintheDistrict.Theareaisalsohometoamixofresidents,businesseslargeandsmall,SanJoseStateUniversity,museums,galleries,andmanyotherpointsofinterestforlocalsandvisitorsalike.ThepublicrealmalsohasaprofoundeffectonallthosewhousetheDistrict—whethertheylivehere,workhere,orarejustvisiting.TheStreetLifePlanarticulatesavisionthatthepublicspaceofDowntownSanJoseshouldencourageandfacilitatevibrantsocialinteraction,promotepedestrianlife,besafe,beaplaceofbeauty,andbeasourceofprideforthecommunity.ThePlanembracesthestreetsandopenspaceasaplacethatshouldevolveovertimetobecomemorerichandinteresting,accruingtextureandcharacterthroughart,landscaping,andspacesforcitylife.

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PROCESS

Overeightmonths,CMGworkedwiththePBIDtoestablishavisionforDowntown,identifyinitiativesforworkingtowardthatvision,andinventadiversearrayofprojectstocatalyzeandexemplifyimprovementsforStreetLifeinSanJose.

AttheoutsetthisprocessincludedaSanJoseDowntownAssociationPBIDRetreattodiscussissuesandstrategies,aswellasagroup“downtownwalk”tolookforexamplesandopportunitiestoinformtheConceptphaseofdesignwork.SJDAconstituentsannotated“mentalmaps”oftheDistrict,notingtheiruseandimpressionsoftheDowntownarea.

FollowingreviewofongoingCityinitiativesandplans,severalmoresitewalks,meetingswiththeCityofSanJosedepartmentsstaffandSPURSanJose,andmeetingswiththePBID,CMGdevelopedthechaptersofthisdocumentandproposalsfordozensofpublicrealmimprovementsprojects,vettedandapprovedbythePBID.

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“downtown walk” , July 2013

“mental maps” produced at the PBID Retreat

PBID Retreat 3

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CHAPTER1 Introduction

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Property-Based Improvement District

ABOUT THE PBIDTheDowntownSanJoseProperty-BasedImprovementDistrict(PBID)wasformedin2007toproduceacleaner,friendlierandmoreappealingDowntown(amapoftheDistrictandthelocationsofpreviousbeautificationprojectsareattached).Renewedin2012,thePBIDlookstoexpanduponthesuccessofitsinitialbeautificationefforts.Examplesofsuchimprovementsincludelarge-scaleartinstallations,interactiveanddecorativelighting,directionalway-findingsigns,streetfurniture,murals,planters,medianenhancementsandotherformsofcapitalandaestheticimprovementsintheDistrict’spublicspaces.AllPBIDenhancementsareaimedatimprovingtheoverallaestheticofDowntownandincreasingbusinessandpropertyvalues.

TheDowntownSanJoseDistrictisdefinedbyadiversityofresidents,culturalofferingsandbusinesses,generallyboundedbythe87and280freeways,4thStreetandDevineandincludestheDiridonneighborhoodandCityHall.Itbustleswithworld-classmuseums,dining,conventionspace,hotels,andeducationalinstitutions.Itincludesavarietyofhousingfromseniorhousingandbelowmarketratehousingtoluxurycondominiumsandlive/worklofts.ThePBIDisperhapsthemostdynamicDistrictinSanJoseandofferstheamenitiesandresourcestobetheurbancenterofSiliconValley.

ThePBIDwascreatedaspartofacomprehensiveandthoughtfuleffortbypeoplewholiveandworkintheDistrict.TheSanJoseDowntownAssociation,anonprofitorganization,managestheDistrict.TheSJDAemploysstaffandsub-contractorstoimplementprograms.TheSJDA’sstaffworkswithaboardofdirectors,multiplecommitteesandcontractorstoadvanceservices.

Formoreinformationvisitthewebsite,www.sjdowntown.com.

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GUIDING GOALS OF THE DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE STREET LIFE PLAN

BasedonitsmissiontoimprovequalityoflifeintheDistrict,thePBIDestablishedthreefundamentalgoalstoguidethedevelopmentandimplementationofurbandesign,streetscapeandopenspaceimprovementsinthecitycenter.ThegoalsarebasedontheuniquequalitiesofDowntownSanJoseandthemissionsofthePBIDandSJDA:

A. Improve connectivityEnhanceconnectivityforallmodesoftransportation—especiallywalkingandbiking—tocreatelinkagesbetweencitycenterlandmarks,openspaceandneighborhoods.

B. Enhance character and identityEnhancetheuniquecharacterofeachoftheneighborhoods,andtheoverallDistricttostrengthenindividualandcollectiveidentity.

C. Promote street lifeMakeimprovementstothecitycenter’spublicrealmthatraisethequalityofpedestrianexperience,andaffordavarietyofplacesforbothpassageandlingering,increasesocialinteraction,andfostercommunitypride.

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Aerial view of Downtown San Jose

San Pedro Square gateway

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IMPLEMENTATION

TheDowntownSanJoseStreetLifePlanisintendedtobeatoolforrealizingawidevarietyofpublicimprovementprojectsacrosstheDistrict.Theprojectsoutlinedinthisdocumentrangefromtemporaryinstallationstolong-term,largescaleurbandesignchanges.Eachprojectdescriptiondefinestheintentoftheproject,designconceptsfordevelopingtheprojecttothenextlevel,andtheroleofthePBIDinadvancingtheproject:lead, initiate and assist, or advocate.Theplanallowsforflexibilityinimplementingtheprojectstorespondtoopportunitiesforpartnerships,funding,andcoordinationwithotherrelatedimprovementprojects.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

TheDowntownSanJoseStreetLifePlanistheproductofavisioningprocessforimprovingtheDistrict’spublicrealm.This document suggests what it is that makes a good public realm and what it is that makes Downtown San Jose special;basedonthese,itproposeslong-terminitiativestoinspireandcoordinateimprovementprojectstobeledbytheCity,developers,andothers,inadditiontoinitiativesledbythePBID.

• Use this book to understand the PBID’s goals and values for improving Downtown San Jose. These goals and values can inform all future dowtown projects.

AsastatementofthePBID’sgoalsforimprovingpublicspaceandstrategiesforachievingthosegoals,theDowntownSanJoseStreetLifePlancansteertheorganization’seffortstoserveitscommunityintothefuture,wellbeyondthespecificprojectsincludedinthisbook.

• Use this book to learn about specific projects, endorsed by the Downtown San Jose PBID. Asamanualforcultivatingbetterstreetlife,thisdocumentproposesdozensofdiscreteprojectsthatsupporta

broadvisionforthefutureofDowntownSanJose,anddemonstrateshowtheseprojectsaccrueforimpactovertime.Inthatway,itcomprisesa“menu”ofmeaningfulstepstowardimprovingDowntown;stepsthatcanbetakeninanyorder,bylotsofpotentialleaders.

CHAPTER1 Introduction