Braden Town Center

Owner and developer Somers West is creating a sustainable community in north central California—where work, school, amenities, entertainment, and recreational areas are within walking distance or a short ride via EV shuttle or e-bike. Located just outside Sacramento with sweeping views to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Braden’s Town Center is a 43-acre mixed-use village that models walkable, low-impact living. The Town Center serves as an urban focal point for a dense neighborhood of 8,000 residences and includes over one million square feet of new mixed-use development.

The project brings housing into the urban core to both activate the community during non-work hours and provide live-work flexibility. There is an extensive menu of innovative work spaces to choose from, including everyday cafés, outdoor work stations, co-working, and more formal office spaces. A nearby school and onsite childcare facility enable easy pick-up and drop-off for working parents. The project strives to make all of this possible without the need of a single-occupancy vehicle.

Braden’s Town Center honors the identity of Sacramento’s farm-to-table culture with local eateries, community gardens, and a modern farmhouse aesthetic. Murals and sculptures punctuate the landscape as a nod to the area’s active art scene. An abundance of pocket parks, dog parks, and wellness activities provide opportunities for social connection and recreation.

Case Study

Regional Connectivity

Located where Sacramento’s land begins to rise toward the Sierra, Braden aims to address California’s critical housing shortage while serving as a model for more livable, environmentally sound communities.

Case Study

Regional Connectivity

Thanks to numerous transit and micro-mobility options (including light rail, EV-shuttles, and bike share), residents and visitors can travel to, from, and within Braden’s Town Center without ever using a car.

Braden celebrates sustainability and the environment by employing green infrastructure and low-impact-development strategies while also providing habitat corridors and over 35% of open spaces and trails. Featuring over a million square feet, the Town Center features a mix of office, grocery, pharmacy, civic, retail, restaurants, live-work space, and multi-family units.

Design for Community

Open Space Design

Braden will consist of integrated villages, each designed with its own unique characteristics, yet all connected by the town’s diversity of open spaces.

Design for Community

Braden Town Center

The Town Center is the heart of Braden, featuring a mix of residential, retail, and civic spaces, anchored by a 5-acre Village Green and framed by tree-lined streets.

Design for Community

10-Minute Commute

Residents will be able to work at the Office District, grab dinner or pick up dry cleaning at the Community Hearth, and walk their children to the nearby school, all within minutes of their homes.

The balance we've struck between urban energy and natural landscapes creates a model for a healthier and more integrated way of life, one that nurtures community, human productivity, and environmental stewardship. With its diverse housing options, mixed-use town center, pedestrian orientation, and environmental preservation, Braden will offer a landmark model of development for Sacramento and the State of California. It demonstrates we can solve our housing crisis by building integrated communities while preserving natural landscapes. Peter Calthorpe

Master Plan Collaborator