The Valley s urban growth boundary, however, is neither complete nor permanent. Now I live in a neighborhood a walk away from a major university, a fine symphony and opera company, a beautiful new theatre, the finest films, and any kind of restaurant I might want. San Jose A real strength in Silicon Valley s built environment is the re-emergence of dynamic downtown centers over the last decade. As a result of significant leadership and investment by the public sector, mixed-use, compact urban centers are being revitalized throughout our region. These centers from San Jose to Mountain View to San Mateo are becoming dynamic hubs for living, working, entertaining and shopping.
Silicon Valley is at an important evolutionary stage.
No longer a rural community or suburbs, our region needs to decide what kind of place it wants to become. The opportunity exists to evolve into a more sustainable metropolitan form, one that blends the best of our natural environment with the vitality of a metropolitan urbanized area.