Students and families gathered to watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of G Street
By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org
G Street renovations have been underway since August of last year, and on Jan. 26, the Davis City Council as well as Congressman Mike Thompson officially opened the street as a community space.
This million-dollar renovation project is adding improved lighting and new seating — some of which were designed by students at UC Davis. Students in UC Davis’ DES 166: Human-Centered Design course collaborated with faculty to conduct outreach with community members about how to best build G Street into a third space — a place separate from home and work — for people of all ages to enjoy.
During the ceremony, Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla spoke on behalf of the city to provide more insight into the future of this G Street project.
“The first phase of infrastructure is complete — it’s ready for the community to enjoy,” Vaitla said. “But, there is a second phase coming up. The city is planning to implement further enhancements over time including additional furniture, group seating, art and family-friendly activities, music, special events, signage and more.”
Vaitla anticipates that graphics for the pavement will be implemented later this February. When asked about what may follow the G Street renovation, Vaitla was hopeful that G Street could set a precedent for pedestrian areas to be implemented in other places downtown if successful.
Vaitla believes G Street to be a space that sets a people-first precedent and prioritizes providing for the physical and mental needs of the community. He discussed his hopes that this shift away from car-centric infrastructure is taken into consideration for future city planning decisions to promote safety, sustainable development and climate action.
“This is a space for people — not cars,” Vaitla said. “Obviously, we need cars, but we also know that there are many deleterious, social and environmental impacts to designing our spaces for motor vehicles instead of people.”
Thompson was also in attendance at the event and spoke about the new building project, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Grant — a bill Thompson voted to pass back in 2021. He discussed the good that he hopes is to come from a new-and-improved G Street.
“This is one of those great projects,” Thompson said. “And, to see what’s happened, the transformation, is pretty outstanding. It speaks volumes for the insight and dedication of the community and businesses as well.”
Brett Lee, the head of the Davis Downtown Business Association, also spoke on the implications of this project for the continued beautification and economic growth of Davis.
“As we look at the downtown, as we try to improve the atmosphere, as we try to make it more inviting and improve the business opportunities for those who choose to locate here, the question isn’t, ‘Is it perfect?’ The question is, ‘Are we moving forward?’” Lee said.
These very improvements tie into a larger citywide effort to increase the accessibility and quality of life in Davis. It is this very sentiment that Vaitla hopes that Davis residents are able to leave with when visiting the new G Street.
“Our grand hope for G Street is that it’s going to be a hub for community life here in Davis,” Vaitla said. “A place where people can come and enjoy being together in this open-air environment year-round while supporting the many small businesses that truly make our city.”
Written by: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org
