The University Square Development Proposal (USDP) explores the redevelopment of the underutilized University Square site (the Site) in the City of San Luis Obispo (the City.) The Sites proximity to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), a university with significant student housing needs, makes it an ideal location for student housing. The City has also expressed interest in the Site, having identified it in the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) update as a “Special Planning Area”. The LUCE proposes a new mixed-use typology on the Site that may include a mixture of multi-family housing, retail services, entertainment, and recreation.
The USDP is an early take on redevelopment of the Site, and provides a development option that accommodates both the objectives of Cal Poly, by providing student housing, and the City, by proposing a mixed-use development typology. To this end, the USDP includes a site assessment, project program, design vision, and financial analysis. The USDP concludes with project evaluations and lessons learned.
","abstract_html":"<p>The University Square Development Proposal (USDP) explores the redevelopment of the underutilized University Square site (the Site) in the City of San Luis Obispo (the City.) The Sites proximity to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), a university with significant student housing needs, makes it an ideal location for student housing. The City has also expressed interest in the Site, having identified it in the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) update as a “Special Planning Area”. The LUCE proposes a new mixed-use typology on the Site that may include a mixture of multi-family housing, retail services, entertainment, and recreation.</p> <p>The USDP is an early take on redevelopment of the Site, and provides a development option that accommodates both the objectives of Cal Poly, by providing student housing, and the City, by proposing a mixed-use development typology. To this end, the USDP includes a site assessment, project program, design vision, and financial analysis. The USDP concludes with project evaluations and lessons learned.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Van Pelt, Tom Gregory"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of City and Regional Planning","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"City and Regional Planning","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Vicente Del Rio"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:28Z","subjects":["Environmental Design","Urban, Community and Regional Planning"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2014.119"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2014.119","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2014.119","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1275","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Vicente Del Rio"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Van Pelt, Tom Gregory"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-06-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["City and Regional Planning"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of City and Regional Planning"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Environmental Design","Urban, Community and Regional Planning"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1275","10.15368/theses.2014.119"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The University Square Development Proposal (USDP) explores the redevelopment of the underutilized University Square site (the Site) in the City of San Luis Obispo (the City.) The Sites proximity to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), a university with significant student housing needs, makes it an ideal location for student housing. The City has also expressed interest in the Site, having identified it in the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) update as a “Special Planning Area”. The LUCE proposes a new mixed-use typology on the Site that may include a mixture of multi-family housing, retail services, entertainment, and recreation.
The USDP is an early take on redevelopment of the Site, and provides a development option that accommodates both the objectives of Cal Poly, by providing student housing, and the City, by proposing a mixed-use development typology. To this end, the USDP includes a site assessment, project program, design vision, and financial analysis. The USDP concludes with project evaluations and lessons learned.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["University Square Development Proposal"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Vicente Del Rio"],"dc:creator":["Van Pelt, Tom Gregory"],"dc:date.available":["2014-06-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The University Square Development Proposal (USDP) explores the redevelopment of the underutilized University Square site (the Site) in the City of San Luis Obispo (the City.) The Sites proximity to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), a university with significant student housing needs, makes it an ideal location for student housing. The City has also expressed interest in the Site, having identified it in the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) update as a “Special Planning Area”. The LUCE proposes a new mixed-use typology on the Site that may include a mixture of multi-family housing, retail services, entertainment, and recreation.
The USDP is an early take on redevelopment of the Site, and provides a development option that accommodates both the objectives of Cal Poly, by providing student housing, and the City, by proposing a mixed-use development typology. To this end, the USDP includes a site assessment, project program, design vision, and financial analysis. The USDP concludes with project evaluations and lessons learned.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1275","10.15368/theses.2014.119"],"dc:subject":["Environmental Design","Urban, Community and Regional Planning"],"dc:title":["University Square Development Proposal"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["City and Regional Planning"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of City and Regional Planning"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:28Z"}