San Jose Activates Street Space and Brings Out the Crowds
Nate LeBlanc, Economic Development Director for the San Jose Downtown Association, has worked in downtown San Jose long enough to see many changes. Some of the biggest changes are pedestrianized blocks of commercial streets. San Pedro Street, next to San Pedro Square, is downtown’s restaurant row. And the activated street, decorated with a colorful mural, makes it easy to host events like viewing parties for the Super Bowl and March Madness. Transform has been providing support for reenvisioning public spaces like San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose through our SPOT SJ initiative.
Now, with World Cup fever hitting North America, San Jose is leveraging the opened block of San Pedro Square to bring out the crowds. “San Jose is incredibly diverse, and our diversity is our strength,” Nate told us during a recent interview. “We’d love people to come and experience the new San Jose.”
“Gooooal” for San Pedro Square
No one was sure how much interest there would be in watching World Cup games on one of two giant screens at either end of San Pedro Square. LeBlanc recalls holding his breath before the first game.
“All of that evaporated on Thursday at noon when we had people coming and sitting in front of the screen from 9 a.m. forward,” he said. Even with temperatures in the 90s, people came out to cheer for Mexico. He could hear them in his office, two blocks away, even with the windows closed. “The building felt like it was rocking every time Mexico scored,” he said.
Many of the other games have drawn similar crowds. The San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, Bay Area Host Committee, and San Jose Sports Authority have all pitched in to make the experience fun, providing activities for kids around the viewing area. San Pedro Square provides lots of places to pick up a meal or a snack while people are there for the games.
A “windfall” for local businesses
When San Jose pedestrianized the block of San Pedro near San Pedro Square in 2022, it created a draw for foot traffic — and that’s been great for local businesses.
“Regarding the activation of San Pedro Street and the Entertainment Zone for major sporting events, it has been a tremendous financial windfall for our businesses,” said Randi Musterer, the founder and CEO of Sushi Confidential, in an email. “In fact, our busiest days in the past 10 years have been during the weekend of Super Bowl LX and now the opening weekend of FIFA World Cup 2026.”
He added, “A big part of that success has been the City’s support in creating complementary events around these major sporting moments, including concerts during Super Bowl festivities and the San Jose Earthquakes partnering on the World Cup watch parties in San Pedro Square.”
LeBlanc wants big events like the World Cup to bring visibility to all the fun things to do in downtown San Jose. “We hope they come back to San Jose when we’re not having an event,” he said.
MOMENT shops provide an entrepreneurial proving ground
The crowds on hand for the World Cup are an opportunity to show off another recent development on San Pedro Street. Across from the row of eateries, the ground floor of the recently renovated parking garage now contains a row of microretail shops. The project is managed by MOMENT San Pedro Square and is a collaboration between SJ DOT, the Office of Economic Development, and the San Jose Downtown Association.
The MOMENT shops had their grand opening as the games kicked off. In addition to great places to eat and drink, San Pedro now hosts an array of shops you won’t find anywhere else, all on an activated street where visitors can stroll freely, away from car traffic.
San Pedro Street is a shining example of what can happen when cities reclaim parking spaces for civic uses. “The efforts of the San Jose City Council, the Mayor, City staff, and the broader business community have certainly not gone unnoticed,” Musterer said. “Ultimately, the biggest beneficiaries are our residents and visitors, as these events bring people together in a safe, vibrant environment to celebrate, connect, and experience the best of downtown San Jose.”
A version of this post also appears in Transform’s blog.
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