AUGUST NEWSLETTER AT-A-GLANCE
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San Jose Ranked #2 Fast-Growing Global City
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An
in-depth study of the growth of cities over time based on employment and GDP growth statistics was just released by Brookings, and San Jose was the #2 city globally in terms of fastest-growing economy, 2014-2016.
Dublin, Ireland ranked highest, and San Francisco came in at #4. The report cites "...tremendous growth in the tech sector propelled San Jose and San Francisco- the two anchors for Silicon Valley-into the top four of the economic performance index." This was in spite of cities in China dominating the top rankings of the list,.
Cities are increasingly where most of the people on the planet live and work. The 300 largest metros the report examined accounted for 36 percent of global employment growth and 67 percent of global GDP growth. Emerging economy metro areas continued to disproportionately drive growth, accounting for 80 percent of the 60 best-performing metropolitan areas.
For more information, contact Donovan Lazaro, Business Development Officer, OED.
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Urban Village Amenities Formalized
in order for San Jose to reach its goals of adding jobs and building housing, while also maintaining its Urban Growth Boundary, the city needs to build more urban mixed-use development within infill locations along key transit corridors.
More than 60 of these planned growth areas areas in San Jose are identified in the General Plan as Urban Villages, and allow for significant residential, commercial and retail development along with community amenities such as parks and plazas, streetscape improvements, and public art.
Urban Villages will provide walkable neighborhoods that can contribute to public life while reducing dependence on single-passenger trips for shopping, commuting and entertainment.
Although each busy intersection throughout the 180 square miles of San Jose has its own characteristics, an Urban Village Implementation and Amenity Framework was developed by OED and PBCE for City Council approval, after many months of research, consultant work and community and developer input, to guide the development process.
For more information, contact Chris Burton, Deputy Director, OED.
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Iron Construction Comes Home to San Jose, New HQ
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A company with roots in San Jose celebrated its return to the city and the inauguration of its headquarters in a newly restored building at 1995 The Alameda.
Situated just south of I-880 on one of San Jose's most historic thoroughfares, the multi-story facility demonstrates the privately held construction company's commitment to sustainable design focused on employee satisfaction and productivity.
Presiding over the ribbon-cutting were Mayor Sam Liccardo and svo President Matt Mahood. Both praised Iron Construction's co-founders Claudia Folzman (COO) and Dave Edgar (President) for their business and personal contributions to San Jose. For the full effect check out the ribbon-cutting video.
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City Council Pays Tribute to Iconic San Jose Manufacturer
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On June 19, the San Jose City Council paid homage to Don Mountz, founder of Mountz, Inc. a legendary manufacturer and distributor of
precision torque and fastener tools used around the globe.
The Council adjourned its meeting in honor of Mountz, who died this January at the age of 90.
"We are honored to have such a great longstanding family business so close to our Downtown," said District 3 councilmember Raul Peralez, whose district includes the Mountz headquarters.
Mountz's story parallels Silicon Valley's evolution. Founded in 1965, the company grew with the success of its customers, a list that includes many of the Valley's iconic companies.
For more information, contact Donovan Lazaro, Business Development Officer, OED
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Climate Smart San Jose Outreach to Adobe Sustainability Staff
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Guest Blogpost by Aaron Kinney, Senior Public Relations Representative, City of San José Environmental Services Division
In February, the San José City Council adopted Climate Smart San José, an
ambitious new plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save water. Now the hard (and fun) part has begun: ushering this bold vision into reality.
Some of the critical first steps in implementing Climate Smart San José, which charts a course to meeting the GHG reduction targets of the international
Paris Agreement, include raising public awareness of the plan and building partnerships to promote community action.
For Climate Smart San José to succeed, the entire community will need to participate. That means not only residents but also businesses changing their behavior and doing what they can to reduce their fossil fuel and water consumption, with the City acting as an enabler.
So, it was with great anticipation that Environmental Services Department staff visited Adobe earlier this month to discuss Climate Smart San José with members of the company's San José Sustainability Action Team, a volunteer-based group of employees who bring awareness to colleagues about how to be more sustainable in their daily lives.
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MANUFACTURING IN SAN JOSE
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"Mythbuster" OneWheel Fan Build His Own in SJ
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Adam Savage is well-known for his role in the popular Discovery Channel show, "MythBusters." He is also an avid "one-wheel" rider, and a fan of the Santa Cruz company,
Future Motion/OneWheel. Their OneWheel electric skateboard is designed in Santa Cruz, but manufactured in a custom-designed part of San Jose's
Brite Lab.
Savage's recent vlog showing his visit to the facility to build his own OneWheel XR illustrates the pride that companies like Future Motion take in keeping the manufacturing of their products close to home, where the ongoing cycle of innovation and improvement happens in the same time zone, if not the same zip code.
We are excited to see this perfect example of BriteLab's revolutionary approach to contract manufacturing, right here in San Jose. Check out Savage's vlog here:
For more information, contact Donovan Lazaro, Business Development Officer, OED
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