A place inspired
by San José
We’re working together to imagine this part of downtown — one that draws from San José’s culturally-rich history, vibrant personality and innovative spirit.
Here’s an overview of Downtown West
Location
Downtown West
In 2021, the San José City Council approved the Downtown West mixed-use plan. It builds on the City of San José’s Diridon Station Area Plan to create a mixed-use urban destination near public transit. We worked closely with the City and community to help bring this vision to life through Downtown West.
Priorities
Delivering on San José’s goals
We heard from San José - and we set the priorities for Downtown West together. The project and its programs are designed to respond to these meaningful and ambitious goals—and to also grow and evolve together with the community. Downtown West includes the following benefits, which we’ll work towards meeting throughout the development of the project.
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Local job opportunities
5,700+ prevailing wages construction jobs (with supplier diversity and local hire targets), and new job opportunities in technology and other industries
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More housing, and affordable housing
4,000 new homes, and support for 25% affordable housing in the Diridon Station Area
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Help strengthen the community
~$150M Community Stabilization & Opportunity Pathways Fund rooted in social equity and community participation
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An inclusive place
15 acres of public parks and open space with free year-round programming
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Ambitious climate targets
Zero net new carbon emission and 65% non-single-occupancy vehicle trips (walking, biking, carpooling, or public transit)
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Enhancing ecological health
~4.25 acres of enhanced riparian habitat, 2,280 new trees planted
Plan
A mixed-use plan for a variety of experiences
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A range of urban to nature across open spaces
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World-class multi-modal transit hub
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Local neighborhoods with diverse character and community
Downtown West will be a connected hub of activity and culture with easy access to nature and transit.
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7.3M sf
Office
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4,000
Housing units
*Studying up to 5,900 units -
15 acres
Parks, plazas and green spaces
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500K sf
Retail, cultural, arts, education, hotel and more
Proposed land use
Legend
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Office
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Residential
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Land dedicated to City for affordable housing
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Land dedicated to City for Unentitled DSAP potential affordable housing
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Active use (retail, cultural, arts, education etc)
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Parks + plazas + green spaces
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Downtown West Project Boundary
How it all comes together
Take a walk across the site
Downtown West is designed to provide a range of experiences from urban to nature, while fostering a lively and welcoming public realm, including free year-round programming.
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The Gateway
On the eastern edge of Downtown West, the Gateway will act as an immersive learning exchange that brings San José’s entrepreneurial, innovative spirit to life. It will bolster connections to adjacent neighborhoods and Downtown by offering a flexible plaza for temporary pop-up programming and events, while also celebrating adjacent natural resources.
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The Creekside Walk
Bounded by South Autumn Street to the west, Los Gatos Creek to the east, West Santa Clara Street to the north, and the VTA light rail corridor to the south, the Creekside Walk will be a part of the social heart located at San José’s transit gateway emphasizing health, wellness and environmental education.
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Daytime on The Meander
A central social gathering place with shops, local food and places to learn and experience art and culture, the Meander will bridge natural open space areas with more civic, active areas. It’s situated between West San Fernando Street and Park Avenue, serving as a pedestrian-only extension of South Montgomery Street. A flexible lawn accommodates workshops, classes and events, and is framed by adjacent temporary and permanent structures.
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Evening in The Meander
The Meander comes alive at night, bringing neighbors out to restaurants, bars, and exhibitions — or just for an evening stroll. A mix of businesses and organizations build on San José’s existing culture of food and art. Public seating, native plantings, outdoor art and cultural performances enhance the actively programmed public realm.
How we think about placemaking
Four guiding principles
We know when our local communities thrive, Google thrives. As we think about designing great places for people, we look to four guiding principles.
Community
Places are about people and connections between them. We want to contribute to vibrant places that promote well-being, inclusion, and interconnectivity.
Innovation
We aim to have a healthy disregard for the impossible. We design for adaptability and flexibility.
Nature
The well-being of people depends on the health of the planet. We aspire to build spaces and places that are resilient and circular, connect people to nature, and help us conserve resources and reduce waste.
Economics
We invest in bold ideas that create replicable solutions for a better future. We want our designs to give something back to the world that wasn’t already there.