The Lafayette Lowdown October 2026

How Long-Term Planning Builds Thriving Communities

Vibrancy Blueprints: Livermore’s Transformation

Great downtowns aren’t finished. They keep evolving with the communities they serve.

Twenty years ago, downtown Livermore looked very different than it does today.

First Street was still part of State Route 84, carrying commuter traffic directly through the center of town. Livermore itself described downtown at the time as largely a place to pass through, rather than a destination.

That began to change in the early 2000s, when the city embarked on a deliberate effort to rethink what its downtown could be.

Following years of community workshops, Livermore adopted its Downtown Specific Plan in 2004. The goal was to reestablish downtown as the heart of the community and create a pedestrian friendly district where restaurants, shops, entertainment, offices and housing could support one another.

Then came the important part: follow through.

The city moved State Route 84 out of downtown and transformed First Street from four lanes to two. Sidewalks were widened. Trees, lighting, benches, outdoor dining and gathering spaces were added. The Bankhead Theater and plaza opened. A cinema arrived. New housing brought more residents within walking distance of downtown businesses.

The focus gradually shifted from moving people through downtown to giving them reasons to be there.

Twenty years later

A recent SFGATE feature shows just how much has changed.

New restaurants and businesses continue to choose downtown Livermore, including Meadowlark Dairy, Zachary's Chicago Pizza, Slice House by Tony Gemignani and the Breakfast Club, with Handel's Homemade Ice Cream also preparing to open.

Livermore is also attracting entrepreneurs from other parts of the Bay Area. Sarah and Bill Niles moved from San Francisco to Livermore to raise their daughter and opened Range Life in 2018. Bill had been co chef at Tartine Manufactoryand Sarah a sommelier at Outerlands.

Their description of Livermore's culture may help explain why businesses are willing to invest there.

"This town is so supportive of the small business community," Sarah told SFGATE. "It's a passion of everyone who lives here."

The city plays an active role as well. Livermore has an Innovation and Economic Development Department led by Director Brandon Cardwell that works with businesses on real estate, site selection, permitting and expansion.

And the work is continuing. An expansion of historic Blacksmith Square is expected to add approximately 13,200 square feet of restaurant and retail space, along with more opportunities for people to gather and mingle. Across the street, plans call for a 133 room boutique hotel with a rooftop patio. Other projects include a science center, performing arts theater and event venue.

Cardwell describes it as part of an "incredible resurgence of our downtown over the past 20 years."

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Why this matters for Lafayette

The timing of Livermore's story feels particularly relevant as Lafayette begins planning for its own next 20 years.

The city recently launched the Mt. Diablo Boulevard Corridor Multimodal Mobility Plan, or M3, a community driven effort to create a 20 year framework for walking, biking, transit and driving in and around downtown. A new advisory committee will help guide that work and coordinate it with other downtown projects.

While M3 is focused on mobility, the decisions being made have implications for vibrancy too. How easy is it to walk between businesses? Can families safely bike downtown? Are there inviting places to gather? Does downtown encourage people to pass through, or does it invite them to stay?

Livermore offers a compelling example of why these long term decisions matter.

Its transformation did not come from one restaurant, one development or one streetscape project. It came from establishing a vision and then following through, project by project, over many years.

Lafayette does not need to become Livermore. Our community has its own scale, character and identity. But as we begin thinking about our next 20 years, Livermore offers a useful blueprint for what a strong plan, sustained investment and consistent follow through can ultimately make possible.

Link to Sources:

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/livermore-day-trip-22311660.php

https://www.livermoreca.gov/departments/community-development/downtown/project-history

Community Spotlight:

Eden Hall

If you've walked along Mt. Diablo Boulevard lately, you may have seen an A-frame asking the question on everyone's mind: Wait, what is this?

Step inside and you'll find the Den & Gallery, a free, drop-in space created by All Ages Recreation Downtown, or AARD. On a typical afternoon, you might find preschoolers creating art, teens shooting pool, seniors playing cards, and adults facing off over ping pong. No membership and no fee, just a place to gather, create and play.

Behind it is Eden Hall, a lifelong Lafayette resident and rising junior at Princeton University who co-founded AARD with her mother, Grace Dixon, in 2023.

A Lafayette kid through and through

Eden has lived her whole life in downtown Lafayette, and she credits that experience with shaping what she cares about today.
“I feel like growing up here has been, by far, the biggest influence on why I do what I do,” she says.
“I love downtown.”
As a child, Eden walked to school. As she got older, she could walk to local businesses and the library. Both of her parents owned businesses in Lafayette, and her father was disabled, which made Eden aware from an early age of accessibility and how easily different people can move through a community.
That interest followed her to Princeton, where she studies architecture, African American studies and urban studies. As she studied other cities, she continually found herself thinking about Lafayette.

From pop ups to The Den & Gallery

For years, Eden's mother, Grace, had worked alongside other residents to bring more parks and public spaces downtown. Eventually, they decided to create something together.

“We figured we could either just keep waiting and going to meetings, or we could also just say, ‘Hey, let's start something.’”

In 2023, they formed AARD and began hosting casual outdoor events near Lafayette Plaza. In 2025 alone, AARD hosted 89 outdoor events and served more than 10,000 people on a budget of roughly $10,000.

Then came The Den & Gallery, an indoor space that allows that same idea to exist year round.

Eden calls it “literally a constant survey of what people want.” Parents, teenagers, seniors and visitors all come through the doors, giving her a chance to hear directly from the people using the space.

It has also expanded her idea of what a park can be.

“A park is sometimes a community center,” she says. “A park is sometimes a senior center, a park is sometimes a teen center. A park is sometimes a place where you can go to paint.”

A place for teenagers, too

Some of Eden's favorite visitors are teenagers.

“People don't always recognize how intelligent teenagers are,” she says. “They are amazing, and they want to be civically engaged.”

Recently, two teenage boys biked over to The Den & Gallery. One reminded the other that they had planned to go to McDonald's. “Yeah, but McDonald's costs money. This doesn't,” his friend responded.

They stayed for hours. Before leaving, each made a $5 donation. “They knew the value of that money. They knew the value of the space. They knew to treat it with respect.”

It's a small story that captures something Eden sees repeatedly. Give people a place that feels like it belongs to them, and they begin to take care of it.

Creating a more vibrant downtown

The impact extends beyond The Den & Gallery's walls. Families who come downtown to play often stay for lunch, coffee or shopping. For Eden, creating a more vibrant downtown starts with giving people reasons to be there.

“I think the more destinations that we can create, that totally benefits local businesses,” she says.

And ultimately, her motivation is remarkably simple.

“I think that I do what I do with Lafayette because I love Lafayette.”

👇🏻Discover more the activities, including those at the Den & Gallery here!👇🏻

The Lafayette Lowdown October 2026

How Long-Term Planning Builds Thriving Communities