Folklorico music echoed across San José High as freshmen and sophomore students from neighboring Cristo Rey High School performed on stage at the City of San José’s fifth and final workshop for the Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Update, which took place on Saturday, April 20, 2024. 

Co-led by the City and VTA, the open house-style event included stations to inform participants about the City’s Urban Village Plan Project, VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project, and VTA’s Design Development Framework for 28th Street/Little Portugal. District 3 councilmember Omar Torres shared welcoming remarks, followed by Supervising Planner Charla Gomez introducing City and VTA personnel and consultants to the audience to enable easier connections throughout the event. 

In addition to the performance and a presentation about the components of the Urban Village Plan – including anti-displacement, land use, open space, circulation and access – the event featured refreshments from a local bakery and a kids’ table provided the children in attendance with fun urban planning, magnetic tile, and coloring activities. VTA raffled off San José-edition Monopoly gameboards to three lucky attendees throughout the morning. 

As part of the open house, interpretation services were offered in Spanish and Vietnamese, and local educational institutions and community-based organizations hosted tables to showcase their programs and activities, including:

• CommUniverCity
• Cristo Rey San José 
• Friends of Five Wounds Trail 
• Gardner Health Services
• Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley

Approximately 70 community members were in attendance, making for a robust event as VTA strives to increase inclusivity and thoughtful engagement through its Outreach Best Practices Plans and interagency partnerships.