Davis Commons sits at the gateway to downtown and has become a centerpiece of community life.  A highly innovative project, both in concept and design, the Commons features restaurants, a bookstore and other buildings clustered around a one-acre, semi-circular park. It borders one of the city’s busiest intersections and is adjacent to the UC Davis Arboretum, a nationally recognized collection of rare plants. As an extension of the arboretum, the university maintains a demonstration garden and nursery at Davis Commons. This unique junction of commercial, educational and recreational uses in a central urban setting has been recognized nationally as a model of smart development for the 21^st Century. It also was highlighted in Harvard Design Magazine and The Regional City by Peter Calthorpe.