The West Downtown Specific Plan was completed in two phases. Phase One, prepared by another consultant between 2012 and 2015, produced a draft land use and transportation plan. Following more than a year of Planning Commission and City Council hearings, the City concluded that substantial revisions were needed. In 2016, Barry Miller was retained to manage Phase Two, which involved an overhaul of the earlier Draft to address community and staff concerns. In this role, Barry edited and reformatted the Plan and facilitated multiple study sessions with the Planning Commission, City Council, and other City commissions. The Plan was ultimately adopted in 2018.

The Plan covers a 172-acre area between Interstate 680 and Walnut Creek’s downtown retail core, including the Walnut Creek BART station. It guides the area’s evolution into several distinct districts, ranging from established single-family neighborhoods to new high-density mixed-use areas. The Plan provides capacity for up to 2,400 new housing units and more than 500,000 additional square feet of office and retail space. Development standards establish new base densities and height limits, with bonuses for projects that incorporate community amenities such as public plazas, public art, child care facilities, and affordable housing.