SAN JOSE CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY

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1 COUNCIL AGENDA: ITEM: 2.5 CITY OF ^ SAN JOSE CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY Memorandum TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Councilmember CITY COUNCIL Raul Peralez SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: November 3,2015 SUBJECT: TRAVEL REPORT ON COUNCILMEMBER PERALEZ'S PARK TOURS IN LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA INFORMATION This memo provides a travel report and park observation summary from my September 19, 2015 park tour in Los Angeles and my park tour from September 23-27, 2015 in New York and Philadelphia. I recently provided an Informational Memo to City Council (dated ) relative to my Levitt Pavilion Tour in Los Angeles. However, during the same trip, I also took the opportunity to explore two additional parks for the purpose of generating ideas around how to best activate parks in downtown San Jose. I will describe both of those park visits below along with a list of observations from those parks that I visited in New York and Philadelphia. I hope to use these experiences to help San Jose learn and dream about the future possibilities of public spaces in our city. BACKGROUND AND PREPARATIONS San Jose has been selected by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network as one of the three key cities in the United States to be an example for how cities can lead the way to achieving the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). The City of San Jose was invited to designate a representative to participate in the most recent convening of UN Delegates in New York. Our Mayor was initially invited to attend, but he was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. As an early advocate for the SDG's, I was eager to fill in for our Mayor as a representative for the City of San Jose.

2 November 3, 2015 Page 2 Prior to leaving for New York I had a conversation with Daniel Harris, Program Director with the Knight Foundation who has funded several park projects in San Jose, and he strongly suggested that while on my trip I should tour specific parks in both New York City and Philadelphia (a short train ride from Manhattan). I took him up on the suggestions and together we set up an itinerary of parks to visit and a list of contacts for me to meet. Several days before my trip, I had three phone conversations in specific preparation for the Philadelphia park tour: 1. DAVID FIERABEND, PRINCIPAL WITH GROUNDSWELL DESIGN GROUP An organization responsible for aesthetic design and creation of several parks on my tour David recently visited San Jose and presented at SPUR to a very attentive audience. Our PRNS and OED departments have contracted with them for activation of Cesar Chavez Park during the upcoming Super Bowl 50 festivities, a project sponsored by both the Knight Foundation and Adobe. Groundswell has been able to produce some amazing results in activating otherwise blighted and empty parks. I learned from David about some of the challenges they faced in doing so and, more importantly, how they overcame them by applying innovative ideas that really made a difference. 2. JENNIFER MAHAR, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CIVIC INITIATIVES FOR THE FAIRMONT PARK CONSERVANCY A non-profit organization similar to our San Jose Parks Foundation in that it is responsible for fundraising to support the innovation, design, and development of park space in Philadelphia Jennifer highlighted their organization's role in connecting their community and local government for continued activation of all their parks. The non-profit is small, but mighty, and they continue to grow support by drawing on local donors to maintain their vibrant park space. 3. SHAWN MCCARNEY, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE COMMUNITIES & NATIONAL INITIATIVES WITH THE WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION The William Penn Foundation is similar to our local Sobrato Family Foundation in that it is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Philadelphia region through philanthropic grant making. Shawn described their investment platform and explained why they felt enriching the parks in Philadelphia were contributing to much more than just active park space. He affirmed that they have been extremely pleased with the activation and revitalization in Philly parks. Through each of these conversations, I gathered a better understanding of how a park can become more of an asset than just an open space when it is supported by the greater

3 November 3,2015 Page 3 community. The work and investment is not small, but the returns can be profound. PARK OBSERVATIONS Below, I have provided some brief observations of each park and listed them in the order they were visited. I have also attached a few photos as well. Grand Park. Los Angeles: Grand Park is a long park that spans several city blocks leading directly to LA City Hall. The park was recently urbanized and activated with some simple additions. It now boasts bright pink outdoor moveable furniture and it has a warm and inviting feel. With a central fountain not much different than at our very own Cesar Chavez Park, this park offered much more relaxing and inviting spaces and the community has responded by patronizing it daily. Madison Square Park, NY: One of the key features in Madison Sq. Park that stood out is the brick and mortar Shake Shack that is located on its southern end. The small burger and shake business has only a few walk up windows, but a lot of outdoor seating. It is packed all day long with lines that stretch across the park. This one factor alone makes the park always appear vibrant and safe. There are still very large areas of open lawn, but the majority of the activity focuses around the ever popular Shake Shack. Echo Park. Los Angeles: Echo Park was known for harboring a tough crowd, but after consistent investments from the City and persistence from the local community, the park has evolved into a serene resting place for picnic goers and a scenic track for joggers. The middle of the park welcomes locals with a cafe and sandwich shop and the small lake in the middle offers paddle boating.

4 November 3, 2015 Page 4 Bryant Park, NY: Bryant Park sits beside the Mid-Manhattan New York Public Library. It has been embellished with an outdoor beer garden and cafe and an abundance of patio seating and shade. It has an upscale restaurant located within it and during the day, it features free public art carts that activate otherwise dead spaces. The Village Green. NY: The Village Green was an accidental find on my part. It struck me as a community-sponsored park that reminded me of the pop up community dog park behind the old Norte Dame Market. It sits adjacent to a residential building surrounded by busy urban streets, but inside, it is a communal oasis. The nearby community banded together to fund seating, tables, trees, a fountain, light poles, and maintenance. Whereas it previously served only as vacant passthrough space at a triangle median, it is now used as vibrant green space that is open to the public. The High Line, NY: The High Line is a very impressive space with a great story. The park is located along an elevated railway that went out of service in Fending off demolition for years, a formal Friends of the High Line organization was formed in 1999 with the goal of preservation. Ten years later, after much work and advocacy, the group opened Section 1 on June 9, Today, with the entire span of about 1.5 miles open to the public, it is a modern marvel and quite a site to see. The Friends of the High Line fundraise 98% of the High Line's annual budget and although it is owned by the City of New York, it is actually maintained, operated and programmed by both the Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The Commons at New York City Hall, NY: The Commons is a public space directly in front of New York City Hall and it serves an urban and eclectic environment. With food trucks and vendors stationed along the edges, it draws a crowd, but from within, it slows down and offers a taste of history and a beautiful working and historic fountain.

November 3,2015 Page 5 had planned to be^ With buy-in and support of the community coupled with private investment, the park is now a supreme example of what partnerships can accomplish.

5 November 3,2015 Page 5 had planned to be^ With buy-in and support of the community coupled with private investment, the park is now a supreme example of what partnerships can accomplish. Today, the park is full of tourists and locals enjoying countless outdoor activities throughout all 843 acres. The Porch at 30 th Street Station, PA: The Porch is a small urban park just outside of the downtown Philadelphia train station. It has more recently been activated by Groundswell with a multitude of pop up amenities. It was vibrant with color and it offered great spaces for relaxation and play. Washington Square Park, PA: Washington Square Park reminded me of our Saint James Park, but still more vibrant with positive activity. It appears to be in traditional form without many additions or amenities. It served as a good example for what traditional parks would look like and I believe it suffered for it, as it was the least active or vibrant park I visited in Philadelphia. Spruce Street Harbor Park, PA: Spruce Street Harbor Park was at the impetus of my park tours so I felt as though I had reached the top of a mountain as I walked up to it. Immediately, it was clear that Groundswell had also been here to activate the space. There were bright colors, appealing light fixtures, and inviting seating and hammocks. The use of pop-up structures was off the charts, ranging from a mobile beer garden to a video arcade and food vendors located in shipping containers. The park was alive with activities and it lent itself for much more interaction than traditional park spaces.

6 November 3, 2015 Page 6 Perm's Landing, PA: Perm's Landing was not in use during my visit, but it was clear that it was meant for large outdoor concerts or events and it was just a short walk from the action at Spruce Street Harbor Park. It also had a great outdoor skating rink and, although it was closed, I could imagine the small ice cream and food stands being full of guests during the large community events. Independence National Historical Park. PA: Unfortunately, due to the Pope's visit, I was unable to go into Independence National Historic Park. I was only able to see it from behind a temporary perimeter fence, along with thousands of other on looking visitors. It was clear that the park was a very historical site that earned with it great local and national significance given that the Pope chose this as one of his primary presentation sites. CLOSING THOUGHTS After having the opportunity to visit and observe distinct elements of several different urban parks, I returned with one major take-away that can be summed up with one word: "STUFF." It sounds simple and vague, but the reality is that each successfully vibrant and active park had one thing in common: they all had "stuff added to them that would not typically be seen in traditional parks. There were some with moveable furniture, hammocks, bean bag tosses, and stages; others had fire pits, beer gardens, and artistic lighting; still others had public art, coffee carts, and restaurants. The list could go on, but the conclusive thought that stayed with me as I returned to San Jose is that the traditional model of public space activation is no longer enough. To entice and engage our community to come out of their homes and take advantage of the entire space, we need something else besides just open space, grass, trees, and traditional benches. Renewed with a fresh vision for park activation, I am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for our parks here in San Jose and I invite you to continue to learn and dream about the future possibilities of public spaces in our city with me.

hudsonriverpark.org 2017 Brand Activation and Partnership Opportunities

hudsonriverpark.org 2017 Brand Activation and Partnership Opportunities 1 2017 Brand Activation and Partnership Opportunities 2 A World Class Park Background Hudson River Park is enjoyed annually by millions of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. Since construction