SoFA Pocket Park

A pocket park built to be picked up and moved.

The project

The site might not be permanent, so nothing was poured in place.

Veggielution, a food-systems nonprofit, wanted a pocket park on a hard industrial block in downtown San Jose's SoFA district.

The site might not be permanent, so nothing was poured in place: raised steel stock tanks, teepee trellises and a pollinator hotel all sit on the ground rather than in it. Open ground was held back for workshops, food trucks and gatherings. The planting screens the food beds from the dog park next door, which shares the brick entry arch.

Neighbors and volunteers planted the first beds the same week the planters went in. I was lead designer, project manager and construction administrator at Farmscape, alongside Veggielution, muralists Local Color Murals and site architect TOPA Architecture.

SoFA Pocket Park, San Jose — children on a low wooden deck among marigolds, raised planters, and a flower mural — Children on the low wooden deck among the raised planters.

SoFA Pocket Park at dusk — a community gathering under string lights, framed by murals — The open ground held back for workshops and gatherings, in use under string lights.

SoFA Pocket Park entry — brick arch reading Demonstration Garden and Dog Park, downtown San Jose — The brick entry arch the garden shares with the dog park next door.

SoFA Pocket Park before and after — a graffiti-tagged industrial lot transformed into a mural-backed garden with planters — Before and after — the same lot, from tagged industrial ground to a mural-backed garden.

SoFA Pocket Park — colorful steel planters and teepee trellises set against a flower mural — Steel stock tanks and teepee trellises sit on the ground, not in it.

SoFA Pocket Park planting day — volunteers filling a raised wooden bed with seedlings — Planting day: neighbors and volunteers filled the first beds the week the planters went in.

SoFA Pocket Park — visitors examining edible plants in the demonstration beds — Visitors at the demonstration beds, looking at the edible plants up close.

Project credits

Design team — FarmscapeLara Hermanson (principal), Sharon DeBell — lead designer, project manager & construction administration

ForemanKenny Shearer

ClientVeggielution

Commissioned bySan Jose Downtown Association

Site architectTOPA Architecture

MuralsLocal Color Murals

Urban edible demonstration garden · 5,000 sq ft · Built 2021 · SoFA district, San Jose

← All work San Leandro Residence →