Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

Caring for nature
as nature cares for us.

Phase I Communications and Style Guide for Coyote Valley developed by New Agency in 2020.

After developing a new visual identity for the Open Space Authority in 2013, New Agency has worked ongoing with the Authority to integrate and elevate its progressive regional vision for land stewardship in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Inspired by the natural and cultural heritage of the region once known as the Valley of the Heart’s Delight, the Authority has taken its place as a leader in a new generation of conservation and stewardship that embraces not only wild and natural landscapes but working lands, parks and the diversity of communities (human, animal and plant) that are served by these lands. New Agency has integrated this story into the Authority’s five year communications strategy and translated it for application to their website, presentations and the culture of the agency itself.

One example of this vision is the Open Space Authority’s 2019 protection of Coyote Valley, 937 acres at the southern edge of San Jose. Working in partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the City of San Jose, the Authority acquired this land as a long-term investment in the health of the region as it confronts the challenges of inequity and climate change to create a sustainable future.

In 2020, New Agency worked with the Authority to develop the Phase One Communications and Style Guide for Coyote Valley. This included developing the storyline for Coyote Valley, as well as recommendations for mapping styles and a working brand identity for the master planning and community engagement process that will shape what Coyote Valley becomes in the future. The purpose of the Phase One Communications and Style Guide is to express the importance of this place -- it’s history, emotional significance and ecological value -- and facilitate the selection of a team to lead a meaningful master planning process that engages with and is responsive to the local community.

New Agency also worked with the Open Space Authority and the County of Santa Clara to develop a strategy for a branding, education and awareness campaign to support the Santa Clara Valley Ag Plan, a plan to protect the last of the irreplaceable working lands in the Santa Clara Valley. The plan is part of a strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change and grow a vibrant food economy through sustainable farming and ranching. A central part of the strategy is to restore the region's name — Santa Clara Valley — through a coordinated branding and communications program that will raise awareness about the ecological, cultural and economic value of working lands in the valley.