"An architect's most useful tools are an eraser at the drafting board and a wrecking ball at the site."
Bishop Ranch is one of the greatest urban planning opportunities in the Bay Area. Hundreds of acres of centrally located land, much of it developed decades ago as a suburban office park, can be transformed into something extraordinary: a vibrant, walkable downtown where people can live, work, shop, and play.
Very few established cities get an opportunity like this. Most downtowns evolved over generations, constrained by existing streets, buildings, and fragmented property ownership. San Ramon has a rare chance to thoughtfully plan an entire district.
Frank Lloyd Wright's words remind us that it is far easier to change a building on paper than after it has been constructed. The decisions we make today will shape our city for generations.
I support redeveloping Bishop Ranch, but I believe our current plans fall far short of its potential.
Mixed-Use in Name, Housing in Practice
Bishop Ranch redevelopment has been presented to residents as a vision for a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use community. But when we look beyond the renderings, a different picture emerges.
The CityWalk Master Plan allows up to 4,500 residential units. Other redevelopment plans envision thousands more homes.
Housing is overwhelmingly the dominant new use.
Housing belongs in a downtown. Residents bring customers to local businesses and activity to public spaces. But a collection of apartment buildings, landscaped courtyards, and parking garages does not automatically become a downtown because it is located near a shopping center.
True mixed-use means integrating homes, workplaces, shops, restaurants, everyday services, and public spaces into the same neighborhood. It means creating a place where people have reasons to walk throughout the day, rather than driving elsewhere for nearly everything.
Walkability Is More Than a Sidewalk
One of my biggest concerns is the disconnect between how Bishop Ranch is being modeled and how it is actually being designed.
The environmental impact report anticipates reductions in car trips through transit, walking, cycling, and other alternatives. But are we building a neighborhood where those choices will actually be practical and appealing?
Developers often describe projects as pedestrian-friendly because they include sidewalks, landscaping, parks, and walking paths. These are welcome amenities, but they do not necessarily create walkability.
Think of downtown Walnut Creek or Danville, where shops, restaurants, and services line interconnected streets, giving people reasons to walk from one destination to another.
Bishop Ranch should offer that same experience: short, connected blocks, continuous storefronts, everyday businesses, inviting public spaces, and safe pedestrian crossings.
And architecture matters. We should create attractive, human-scale buildings and streetscapes that give our downtown a distinctive character—not another collection of disconnected buildings and shopping centers.
We cannot simply assume people will drive less. We need to build a downtown that gives them a reason not to drive.
If our transportation and parking projections depend on walkability, the physical development plans must deliver it.
A Downtown Needs Jobs Too
For decades, Bishop Ranch distinguished San Ramon from other suburban communities. Its concentration of employers brought jobs, economic activity, and a commercial tax base to our city.
The office market has changed, and many aging office buildings need to be repurposed. But replacing so much commercial land with housing raises an important question: What kind of economy do we want San Ramon to have thirty years from now?
We should preserve employment space while planning for the next generation of employers, including startups, research and development, professional services, and growing businesses.
A successful downtown needs residents, but it also needs workers, visitors, and businesses that keep streets active throughout the day. A strong commercial base supports local restaurants and retailers while helping fund city services.
This is not a choice between housing and jobs. It is about getting the balance right.
We Have One Chance to Get This Right
Redeveloping Bishop Ranch will shape San Ramon for generations. Once buildings are constructed and streets are laid out, correcting mistakes becomes enormously difficult. These buildings will likely outlast me - and I'm a young guy!
I want thoughtful redevelopment that concentrates growth in existing urban areas, protects our hillsides and neighborhoods, and creates beautiful public spaces. I want inviting streets, diverse businesses, connected transportation, and a downtown that draws people from across the region.
Most importantly, I want residents to have a meaningful voice in shaping that future.
We should not mistake the quantity of construction for the quality of urban planning.
The measure of success should not be how many housing units we can fit onto Bishop Ranch. It should be whether we create a place people genuinely love to live in, work in, and visit.
Frank Lloyd Wright understood the difference between fixing a mistake on paper and fixing it after construction.
I'd rather use the eraser today than wish for the wrecking ball tomorrow.
This is the urban planning opportunity of a lifetime. Let's build something worthy of it.