San Pablo Avenue is a stretch of road along San Pablo's western edge that was known to residents as unattatractive and unfriendly to pedestrians.  It reduced nearby residents' sense of belonging to the rest of the community.  Though the stretch of roadway is owned and operated by the state, the City of El Cerrito was able to partner with several agencies and rejuvinate the area.  

The plan a multi-year project to rebuild the area in order to reduce resource use, promote pedestrian usage, and catalyze private-sector investment.  By 2010 the project had been completed resulting in new pedestrian infrastructure, rain gardens, attractive medians and greenways, and a LEED-Certified City Hall among other accomlishments.  

This case study was nominated for ICMA's Annual Awards Program.