Plaza del Sol, Sunnyvale, California

Andi Slusser
LARC 504
Build it and they will….not necessarily come. Except on Saturdays, during the Farmer’s Market. And maybe a little on Thursdays, when there’s live jazz music on nearby Murphy Avenue. And during the Art and Wine Festival in the summer, of course (Also on Murphy Avenue). But definitely not during weekday lunchtime, because the adjacent office buildings are tenantless (still), so who’s going to come? In the intensely high speed and high pressure tech industry of Silicon Valley, I’m sure innumerably more sandwiches are consumed at the computer than out in a park, regardless of the proximity or weather.

Rail commuters using the CalTrain station across the street are likely in a hurry, coming or going, so no time for them to sit and read the paper, sipping their coffee like we always imagine in public squares with plenty of seating. No schools nearby for students to enliven the space after class, and Sunnyvale isn’t exactly known for its hip music scene. Sunnyvale even has an incredibly low crime rate, so no(t many) drug dealers here. Too open (and the police station too near) for homeless folks to want to loiter.

A shame really, given the immense cost of the multi-level underground parking garage, the quirky but thoughtful orchard-inspired art and specific use of cherry trees and the generally good weather of the aptly named suburban city. 

But then again, it’s hard to judge a space after being there for eight minutes.

photo source: City of Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Department website (http://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityServices/Parks/PlazadelSol.aspx)