Z-Old Past Projects

Suite:
– Community Planning & Engagement
Last Editions:
– Spring 2024
– Fall 2023

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Growing Sustainably
Last Editions:
– Spring 2024
– Fall 2023

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– College Going Culture
Last Editions:
– Spring 2024
– Fall 2023

We are actively recruiting speakers to travel to these local schools and talk about their experiences going to college. Your conversation with these students could spark many more future college-going conversations between students and their families, teachers, and friends. If you are interested in being a speaker, please fill out this interest form.

To learn about first generation ​college students’ experiences at San Jose State, see the GENTERATE’s video below. GENERATE is a cooperative initiative designed to promote leadership, visibility, support, coordinated resource exchange, and college success for those who identify as First-Generation College Students at SJSU.

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Community Planning & Engagement
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Student Learning, Community Earning
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

SHOWCASE:

eLearning during the Pandemic: Lessons from Uncertainty, Spring 2022

Managing a Team and the Impact in the Classroom, Spring 2022

Jake, an interactive Minecraft movie, Spring 2022

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Community Planning & Engagement
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

PLACEMAKING IN NORTH SAN JOSÉ: URBAN PLANNING STUDENTS HAVE A VISION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S FUTURE

Students of the Fall 2023 Capstone Studio: Community Planning course, San Jose State University

Article Written By Jordan Weinberg; Steven Peck; Devon Pack; Elisha St. Laurent

San José State University Master of Urban Planning students, led by Rick Kos, AICP and Project Advisor Don Weden, in partnership with CommUniverCity and with guidance from the City of San José Department of Transportation, embarked on an ambitiouseffort in fulfillmentof their program’s Fall 2023 studio class. Students developed a comprehensive, forward-looking set of guiding principles and policies for North San José’s redevelopment, employing an innovative approach combining both planning and placemaking best practices

With the assignment in hand, students first took to the streets, undertaking considerable effort on the ground – visiting key points of interest, surveying user (resident and non-resident) experiences, and even capturing drone footage – all to answer, what kind of “place” is North San José? The nearly seven-mile study area is neither uninhabited (pop. ~32,000) nor undeveloped (think of Cisco’s mega-campus or the Guadalupe River Trail), but its public realm is largely characterized by wide, car-dominant arterials and an abundance of corporate and industrial lots.

North San Jose – Past, Present and Future

Through this report, students have contributed the latest attempt in a long line of placemaking efforts dating back to 1974, when the City of San José began implementation of the Rincon de Los Esteros Development Plan. It was around this time that North San José began to shed the last remnants of its agricultural past on the way to becoming the Innovation Triangle (also known as the Golden Triangle), a hub of light industrial operations and business parks. These new land uses led to the emergence of a unique part of San Jose, one that was not predominantly zoned for single-family residential development that characterizes much of the nation’s 12th-largest city.

Decades later, the 2005 North San José Area Development Policy sought a new trajectory for the area. This involved commercial and residential densification amidst a growing mix of land uses. The four-phase plan would make way for 26.7 million square feet of industrial development, one million square feet of regional commercial development, 1,000 new hotel rooms, 1.7 million square feet of neighborhood serving commercial development and 32,000 residential units.

Intercept Survey – Living In and Interacting with North San José

Today, significant tension exists between North San José’s current form – characterized by wide, car-dominant arterials and an abundance of corporate and industrial lots – and emerging visions for its future: a more densely developed, walkable, and connected neighborhood that is, in the words of Project Advisor Don Weden, an “intelligently more urban” place.

Bridging North San José’s past and its future are the present-day experiences of residents and non-residents alike, living and interacting within the area on a daily basis. An intercept survey was conducted at eight busy locations strategically selected within the study area. Participants were asked to share their thoughts on wide-ranging topics, including subjective ones, such as their perceptions of North San José’s assets and liabilities, and practical matters such as commute and non-commute transportation modes. A total of 178 complete surveys were collected.

Participants were asked to gauge whether North San José has a distinct “sense of community” on a 1-5 scale; the results showed an average response of 3.39, more than expected since we started the semester with a notion that North San José lacked a distinct identity. To dig deeper, respondents were asked “What three words would you use to describe North San José to someone not familiar with the area?” When responses were aggregated into a word cloud, residents and non-residents displayed positive sentiments including a fondness for the study area’s plentiful green spaces including both parks and trails. On the other hand, respondents also lamented the lack of robust public transportation options, an auto-dominated landscape, and long blocks that made quickly navigating the area difficult on foot. An interesting finding from the survey is the rate of biking and walking as a daily commute mode was significantly higher among study area residents (20 percent) than the citywide average (2.5 percent). This could be due to the close proximity of employees’ homes to major North San José workplaces such as Samsung, Cisco, and PayPal – an important part of the marketing strategy used by the area’s apartment complex owners.

Many survey participants made astute points related to land use and zoning patterns that characterize conventional suburban sprawl, without necessarily having the tools or training to call them out by name. For example, respondents remarked on how “spread out” North San José appears; this was supported by spatial analysis using ArcGIS Pro to map the average parcels size in North San José: six times larger than their citywide counterparts.

Placemaking Principles and Suburban Retrofitting Proposals

To develop actionable recommendations that draw from planning and placemaking best practices, a number of San José’s mobility and design policies were considered, including but not limited to: San José Better Bike Plan 2025, North San José Neighborhood Plan, and the San José Citywide Design Guidelines. From this examination of North San José’s complex regulatory landscape, five placemaking principles and strategies were developed to, we hope, guide North San José’s evolution into a sustainable, attractive, suburban-urban hybrid:

● Enhance livability for residents and visitors through innovative urban design
● Ensure equitable access to housing, amenities, and services
● Celebrate the area’s culture for a strong sense of identity and community
● Promote environmental stewardship and climate resiliency
● Provide green parks and open spaces for residents and visitors

In developing these placemaking principles, a hierarchy of geographic scales was established, from the micro- (small, streetside elements) to neighborhood-level. To illustrate the principles as applied to locations of various sizes, we identified the following “opportunity sites” in the study area:

● North First Street Corridor
● Moitozo Orchards
● Tasman Drive and Zanker Road
● Zanker Road (southern terminus)
● Renaissance Drive
● River Oaks Parkway
● Villagio Street and Zanker Road
● Parking Lots (Multiple Locations) North San José

The recommendations offered exemplify best practices in placemaking within urban forms and demonstrate consistency and feasibility within the context of the vision set forth in the General Plan and associated planning and design documents.

At the time of this report’s publication, the San José Department of Transportation (SJDOT) is preparing to initiate a new Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan (MTIP) for North San José. This proposed MTIP (NSJ MTIP) has the potential to be transformative for North San José’s residents, workers, and visitors. This report summarizes the work of eighteen graduate urban planning students from San Jose State University as they studied North San José in a Fall 2023 Capstone Studio course. Led by Rick Kos, AICP, the graduate student team first undertook a community assessment to understand past and present conditions in the 6.22-square mile study area, bounded by SR-237 to the north, US-101 to the south and west, Guadalupe River to the west, I-880 to the south and east, and Coyote Creek to the east. In fact, the location of North San José between Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek inspired the name of this report. The second phase of the students’ work applied contemporary placemaking strategies – coupled with input from engagement with community members – to generate recommendations that city staff might consider as North San José evolves, as is likely, into the city’s next major neighborhood.

Students hope their report, titled, “City Streams and Community Dreams: Placemaking Strategies in North San José” can serve as a model for how North San José can intelligently plan for current and future development and effectively manage the transition from its present to future form. To view the report, please click here.

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Community Planning & Engagement
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– Community Planning & Engagement
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

Stay tuned: More information to come.

▶ Read Less

Suite:
– College Going Culture
Last Editions:
– Fall 2023

▶ Read Less

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Environmental literacy is of growing importance, especially in our downtown San Jose community where many families face daily environmental harms. These children have the potential with a little guidance to have a very impactful voice in leading to a greener future in San Jose and this project aims at guiding the voices and knowledge to give them the power to improve the environmental challenges our families are facing.

The goal of Environmental Education is to connect children to the basics of the environment by discussing local environments and environmental issues. This project gives students an introduction to environmental terms and literacy while also motivating them to see the environments in their neighborhoods.

▶ Read Less

SHOWCASE:

Virtual Field Trip to Kelly Park – Spring 2022

▶ Read Less

ENGLISH

Welcome to CommUniverCity Club! Each virtual lesson will be from 3:00pm-4:00pm. CLICK HERE to sign up your student! Full schedule and details below.

More details below Mas detalles abajo Thêm chi tiết bên dưới

Tuesday, May 18: >Cybersecurity
Learn good internet habits! SJSU students will guide Rocketeers through a lesson on how to protect themselves online by sharing important vocabulary words and Join us! Sign up here.

Martes 18 de mayo: Ciberseguridad
¡Aprenda buenos hábitos en Internet! Los estudiantes de SJSU guiarán a los Rocketeers a través de una lección sobre cómo protegerse en línea compartiendo palabras importantes de vocabulario y ¡Únase a nosotros! Registrate aquí.

Thứ Ba, Ngày 18 tháng 5:  An ninh mạng
Học các thói quen tốt khi dùng internet! Sinh viên SJSU sẽ hướng dẫn các Rocketeers làm thế nào để bảo vệ bản thân trên online bằng cách chia sẻ những vốn từ quan trọng và Tham gia với chúng tôi! Ghi danh ở đây.  

LESSON SCHEDULE:

Monday 4/26, Tuesday 4/27, Thursday, April 29: Engineering in Action
Learn the science about objects you use every day! Meet future superheroes who will share their journey to their current college path and explain what their superpower will be when they graduate.

Sign up here.

Wednesday, April 28: Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Learn about successful business ideas and teams. What is your BIG idea? SJSU students will inspire you on a journey of generating an innovative idea and building your own successful company with that idea.

Sign up here.

Friday, April 30: Environmental Education
Learn about the environment during Earth month! SJSU students will guide Rocketeers through a lesson on the nature around us in San Jose.  Want to know how to make our neighborhoods greener? Or learn about a cool thing in your neighborhood park? Join us!

Sign up here.

HORARIO DE LECCIONES:

Lunes 26 de abril, martes 27 de abril, jueves 29 de abril: Ingeniería en acción
¡Aprenda la ciencia sobre los objetos que usa todos los días! Conozca a los futuros superhéroes que compartirán su viaje hacia su camino universitario actual y les explicarán cuál será su superpoder cuando se gradúen.

HAGA CLIC AQUI

Miércoles 28 de abril: Academia de jóvenes emprendedores
Academia de jóvenes emprendedores: Obtenga información sobre equipos e ideas comerciales exitosas. ¿Cuál es tu GRAN idea? Los estudiantes de SJSU lo inspirarán en un viaje para generar una idea innovadora y construir su propia empresa exitosa con esa idea. HAGA CLIC AQUI

Viernes 30 de a bril: educación sobre el medio ambiente
¡Aprenda sobre el medio ambiente durante el mes de la Tierra! Los estudiantes de SJSU guiarán a los Rocketeers a través de una lección sobre la naturaleza que nos rodea en San José. ¿Quieres saber cómo hacer que nuestros vecindarios sean más ecológicos? ¿O aprender algo interesante en el parque de su vecindario? ¡Únete a nosotros! HAGA CLIC AQUI

LỊCH HỌC
Thứ Hai ngày 26/4, Thứ Ba ngày 27/4, Thứ Năm ngày 29/4: Kỹ sư Thực hành
Học Khoa học từ các vật thể bạn sử dụng hằng ngày! Gặp gỡ các siêu anh hùng tương lai chia sẻ về hành trình đến đại học của họ và giải thích về siêu lực của họ khi tốt nghiệp.
Ghi danh tại đây.

Thứ Tư ngày 28/4: Học viện các Nhà doanh nghiệp Trẻ tuổi
Học các ý tưởng kinh doanh thành công và đội ngũ. Ý tưởng TO LỚN của bạn là gì? Sinh viên SJSU sẽ truyền cảm hứng cho hành trình tạo ra những ý tưởng đổi mới và xây dựng doanh nghiệp thành công của riêng bạn. Ghi danh tại đây.

Thứ Sáu ngày 30/4: Giáo dục Môi trường
Tìm hiểu về môi trường trong tháng Trái đất! Sinh viên SJSU sẽ hướng dẫn các Rocketeers qua một bài học về thiên nhiên xung quanh chúng ta tại San Jose. Bạn muốn biết cách làm cho khu dân cư của chúng ta trở nên xanh hơn? Hoặc tìm hiểu về một điều thú vị trong công viên khu phố của bạn? Tham gia với chúng tôi! Ghi danh tại đây.

▶ Read Less

In February 2014, CommUniverCity joined our friends in the Franklin McKinley Children’s Initiative, Somos Mayfair and Grail Family Services at the 2014 Santa Clara County Children’s Summit to receive the Bold Steps for Children Award. The award honors community efforts that recognize the strengths that families and neighborhoods bring to enhance children’s success in learning and life. The video below let’s you hear first hand from the Principal of McKinley Elementary, the President of the McKinley/Bonita Neighborhood Association, and the students themselves about the impact of the Accelerating 3rd Grade Literacy program.

2014 Kids in Common from Santa Clara County Office of Ed on Vimeo.

▶ Read Less

Duties: Sort, distribute monthly food packages to families in need. # of Volunteers Needed: 20 for each date. Location: Spartan Keyes Center, 570 Keyes St, San Jose, 95112 Dates: (All run from 1:15pm-4:45pm. Most help needed during first 2 hours. Shifts available.) 4th Tuesday of every month, all year long January 22, February 26, March 26, April 23, May 28, June 25, July 28, August 27, September 24, October 22, November 26, & December 17. Contact: elizabeth@cucsj.org, 408-490-0708 Requirements: None, sign in with Rita Torres upon arrival. Wear close close-toed shoes, comfortable clothing

▶ Read Less

Duties: Register and gather at starting time, suit up with vests/glove, greet neighbors, assist with unloading and making space in bins.
Location: Martha Street,  7:30am until bins are full
Requirements: Wear closed toe shoes, comfortable clothing
Contact: elizabeth@cucsj.org, 408-490-0708

 

▶ Read Less

Duties: Help build and break down sets # of Volunteers Needed: 20+ Location: Burnett Middle School 850 North 2nd St. San Jose, CA 95122 Dates: Late evening Thursday, October 25 and Late evening Friday, October 26 Contact: ccastro@sjusd.org Requirements: Not necessary, but experience with building painting, etc.< Update: Burnett Middle School have now a new name: Ohlone Middle School, in honor of the Ohlone People, whose homeland included today’s San Francisco Bay Area. 

 

▶ Read Less