Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: San José State University

Title of entry: San José State and Downtown SJ Brandscaping, Vibrancy and Placemaking

About this entry: San José State University (SJSU) partnered with the city of San José on joint efforts to align branding and enhance wayfinding in the downtown area that both institutions share. City Hall, located directly across the street from SJSU, contributed $100,000 general fund dollars with a matching commitment from the university to develop a shared and permanent branding concept that would enliven downtown corridors and key locations in anticipation of major national and global sporting events coming to the area in 2026. This took the form of street pole banners, wayfinding signage, asphalt art, sidewalk structure and vacant storefront window vinyl art installations, lighting and small business support. The effort better integrated the university’s presence in the heart of Silicon Valley’s downtown and expanded university branding and coloring beyond the main campus perimeter. With an increasing amount of foot traffic due to major community events and gatherings, conventions and conferences, and climbing enrollment, in part due to rising acclaim in regional and national rankings, SJSU stands to benefit from increasing its brand visibility in San José’s core urban area. Through art and environmental design graphics deployed at strategic points in time in 2024, SJSU and the city of San José were able to leverage resources to boost vibrancy and placemaking efficiently and with broad community engagement.