Downtown West Design Guidelines
Building resilient neighborhoods that capture the
essence of San José.
Role: Co-contributor with Sitelab Urban Studio.
Client: Google & Lendlease.
San José has asked us to step away from a campus or traditional financial district and move towards a central social place — one that acknowledges both the physical and programmatic elements that make communities stronger in the face of the social challenges of our era. Among others, the project targeted:
4,000 total housing units, 25% affordable (within DSAP)
500k sf retail, cultural, arts, education, and active uses.
15 ac of parks and open space, 4.25 ac of expanded riparian habitat.
7.3 M sf office space, 1/2 of developable site for non-office and zero net new CO2 emissions.
To bring the community into this vision, we designed a walking tour that wove together San José’s past, present, and future. The tour highlighted historic features, documented existing conditions, and illustrated future possibilities.
The process began with an internal workshop rooted in creative collaboration, drawing inspiration from Gamestorming by James Macanufo and Sunni Brown. This sparked the idea of an unfolded map—a tool to guide participants through layers of history, design, and potential.
The map was developed in both digital and print formats, ensuring accessibility and legibility for a wide audience. By pairing research and storytelling with thoughtful graphic design, the walking tour made complex planning concepts tangible and helped ground Downtown West’s vision in the lived experience of San José’s streets and open spaces.
