College - Author 1
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Department - Author 1
City and Regional Planning Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in City and Regional Planning
Date
3-2026
Primary Advisor
Amir Hajrasouliha, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, City and Regional Planning Department
Additional Advisors
John Donahoe, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, City and Regional Planning Department
Abstract/Summary
Middle Plaza Redesign presents a conceptual redevelopment of Middle Plaza, an 8.43-acre site located at 500 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, California. Originally developed as a mixed-use project in the 2010s, the redesign evaluates the site through the regulatory atmosphere, market conditions, and housing needs of 2025.
The project examines site conditions, market demand, state and local planning frameworks, and applicable development standards, including recent California housing legislation that eliminates parking minimums and streamlines environmental review. A financial feasibility analysis using proforma modeling evaluates two investment scenarios and demonstrates the economic challenges of delivering high-density rental housing despite regulatory incentives.
Middle Plaza Redesign illustrates the tension between ambitious housing policy and the financial realities of development in high-cost markets, highlighting broader implications for housing production amid California's housing crisis.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/crpsp/299
Included in
Housing Law Commons, Real Estate Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons