Downtown Archives - Davis Vanguard

Op-ed | Keeping Downtown Davis Accessible for Everyone—Not Just Students

By Mike CurroAugust 14, 2026

Davis resident Mike Curro has presented a series of strategies designed to address downtown parking challenges, attributing the issues to increased high-density housing development and changes in UC Davis campus parking policies. His proposals advocate for adopting parking management models from other college towns, establishing a shared-use agreement with UC Davis for campus parking, and strengthening neighborhood commercial centers to alleviate central core congestion.

Davis Council Ordinance Seeks to Impose Paid Parking on Additional 330 Downtown Spaces

By David M. GreenwaldJune 12, 2026

The Davis City Council is scheduled to consider an ordinance next week that would expand metered parking to three additional downtown facilities and elevate hourly rates to $3, as part of the city’s protracted implementation of its Downtown Parking Management Plan.

Opinion: Hidden Costs of Free Parking and How Davis Residents Pay the Price

By David M. GreenwaldJanuary 2, 2026

The Davis City Council declined to implement paid parking in the downtown core, resulting in hidden costs being passed on to residents in the form of higher rents, prices, and taxes, while also encouraging overconsumption of parking and making downtown streets less pleasant for everyone.

Residents Say Downtown Davis Feels Less Welcoming as Cleanliness Concerns Grow

By Harlow HamiltonNovember 16, 2025

Residents of Davis are concerned about the cleanliness and maintenance of the downtown core, with some feeling the city prioritizes students over families and businesses, and suggesting improvements such as adding planter boxes, sweeping sidewalks, and clearing leaves more regularly.

Op-ED | Market Retreats on Free Speech

By Alan HirschMay 2, 2025

Community groups have won a victory in having their free speech area returned to its previous Saturday location, but the issue of the effective ban on free speech tabling during the Wednesday market remains unresolved.

Op-Ed | Davis Free Speech Threatened

By Alan HirschApril 30, 2025

Community groups have been relocated to a new, unshaded location in Central Park at the Davis Farmers Market, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of their outreach efforts and the city’s claim that public speech is now regulated by a private entity.

Op-ed | Farmers Market Forgets It’s about Community

By Alan HirschApril 26, 2025

The Davis Farmers Market Alliance is relocating community groups from their traditional tabling area on C Street to an unpaved and hot area in Central Park, reducing visibility and accessibility, and potentially discouraging volunteers from tabling altogether.