San José’s SoFA Pocket Park Project: Reclaiming and Revitalizing Surface Parking Space for Urban Agriculture

Many urban residents are disconnected from where their food comes from, the work involved in growing crops, and the process of delivering products to market. In many older urban cores, there is often scant green space—let alone publicly accessible, working gardens—to provide access to the freshest fruits and vegetables. This research shows the impact of the transformation of 540 South First Street in downtown San Jose, California—previously a 7,000-square foot, underutilized parking lot—into a vibrant, art-filled urban agriculture-focused community space called SoFA Pocket park. The park launched in summer of 2021 with community engagement efforts to promote the importance of urban agriculture as a component of fostering healthy communities while demonstrating how underutilized space can be reclaimed. The research team surveyed the community surrounding the pocket park and found one-third of survey respondents indicated their household income was less than $35,000, considered “'extremely low income'' in the city (based on the median household income for the City of San José, $109,593 for households. The team also developed a SoFA Pocket Park youth engagement program that engaged an estimated 25-30 K-12 students. This research demonstrates the capabilities of the SoFA Pocket Park to engage underserved populations and engage youth through temporary agricultural spaces.