One of the missions of Castro Valley Matters is to achieve greater placemaking in Castro Valley by having more public art and influencing how our public spaces are developed.

The Project for Public Space writes:

Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, Placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, Placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.

Castro Valley Matters aims to be a catalyst to enhance placemaking in our community.

We are pursuing several avenues for this:

580 Overpass Mural Project

CVM has worked with county agencies on securing a community identifier mural project on the I-580 overpass at Redwood Road.

Public Art on Utility Boxes

Putting art on utility boxes has become a common way for communities to showcase their talents and personality — and as a bonus, it’s an effective graffiti deterrent. We are exploring this in Castro Valley, and at our 2016 Fall Festival booth many residents were interested in art on utility boxes in Castro Valley.

A Town Square for Castro Valley

The catalyst for the founding of CVM was the advocacy around a flexible public space at the site of the Daughtrey’s Building. As of February 2017, the Castro Valley MAC has approved the issuance of a Request for Interest (RFI) for developers interested in the site. CVM hosted a visioning session for what the community wants to see at the site on Sunday, March 12, from 2-4 p.m. at Castro Valley Library.

We have covered the recent history of the site in great detail, including: