We Advocate
Why a Downtown Commons?
The need for public space in downtown Santa Cruz has long been recognized, at least since the 1989 earthquake. Today, it is a key component of the city’s Downtown Plan, revised in 2017, that proposes to “preserve and enhance the informal ‘village’ qualities of the Cedar Street Corridor.” Those plans and goals have never been realized. Downtown Santa Cruz is not yet the place it can become.
When we visit the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons, we partake of a quintessential Santa Cruz experience. Bathed in sunshine even on a short winter’s day, we shop for fresh, organic food, candles, pottery, and other crafted products. We have lunch or coffee next to one of the food booths under the shade of the magnolia trees. Or stop at tables and booths heralding political campaigns, social causes, and massage. Just as important, we run into old friends and make new ones. The Downtown Farmers’ Market is the very essence of community in Santa Cruz.
Yet the Farmers’ Market can be dramatically improved as part of a Downtown Commons. The market at present is a sort of big pop-up event once a week, held at the last sizable publicly-owned open space in the center of Santa Cruz – an unevenly paved parking lot divided by curbs. Now is the time to transform that parking lot into a permanent public space with a shed structure for the market, the Antique Faire and other community events; public art; a space for performances and public gatherings; and a place where people gather to eat, shop, play, listen to music, and meet friends – all ringed by cafes, restaurants, shops, pubs, and housing. In short, our vision of a Downtown Commons is a vision for health – mental, physical, social, and economic; it’s one of fresh air, blue skies, and trees that delight the senses and renew the spirit.
The approach of Downtown Commons Advocates is straightforward: imagination and community. To create a Downtown Commons, we propose a community planning process with participation by the Farmers’ Market and its vendors, downtown businesses, and the broader community. As Downtown Commons Advocates, we can work together to plan downtown Santa Cruz as a place for our community, our businesses, and visitors. We need a Downtown Commons to help bring us together, now and for our future.
When we visit the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons, we partake of a quintessential Santa Cruz experience. Bathed in sunshine even on a short winter’s day, we shop for fresh, organic food, candles, pottery, and other crafted products. We have lunch or coffee next to one of the food booths under the shade of the magnolia trees. Or stop at tables and booths heralding political campaigns, social causes, and massage. Just as important, we run into old friends and make new ones. The Downtown Farmers’ Market is the very essence of community in Santa Cruz.
Yet the Farmers’ Market can be dramatically improved as part of a Downtown Commons. The market at present is a sort of big pop-up event once a week, held at the last sizable publicly-owned open space in the center of Santa Cruz – an unevenly paved parking lot divided by curbs. Now is the time to transform that parking lot into a permanent public space with a shed structure for the market, the Antique Faire and other community events; public art; a space for performances and public gatherings; and a place where people gather to eat, shop, play, listen to music, and meet friends – all ringed by cafes, restaurants, shops, pubs, and housing. In short, our vision of a Downtown Commons is a vision for health – mental, physical, social, and economic; it’s one of fresh air, blue skies, and trees that delight the senses and renew the spirit.
The approach of Downtown Commons Advocates is straightforward: imagination and community. To create a Downtown Commons, we propose a community planning process with participation by the Farmers’ Market and its vendors, downtown businesses, and the broader community. As Downtown Commons Advocates, we can work together to plan downtown Santa Cruz as a place for our community, our businesses, and visitors. We need a Downtown Commons to help bring us together, now and for our future.
DCA on Community Television
On May 11, 2020, John Hall. Bob Morgan and Karen Simmons were guests on Steve Pleich's Voices from the Village on Santa Cruz Community Television advocating for the Downtown Commons.
Click HERE to view the 25 minute video.
Click HERE to view the 25 minute video.