Beneath I-280: Excavating a Neighborhood Lost to San José Freeways

Opening Reception, Panel Discussion & Community Conversation

Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 5–7 p.m. 2nd Floor, DiNapoli Gallery & Room 225

In the mid-1960s, as I-280 and CA-87 reshaped San José’s landscape, an entire neighborhood disappeared. Through newly digitized Caltrans photographs and archival materials, Beneath I-280 visualizes the vibrant communities that once stood there—inviting reflection on the social and environmental costs of mid-century urban planning.

Developed by researchers and students from San José State University’s Institute for Metropolitan Studies in collaboration with the King Library’s California Room, this project maps the stories of the people who lost their homes to freeway construction. It invites us all to reimagine a more equitable, people-centered San José.

Visit the digital exhibit at library.sjsu.edu/exhibits to explore more information.

*This exhibition, which received initial funding from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), is based on the MTI-funded research project Beneath I-280: Excavating a Neighborhood Lost to San José Freeways.