The consulting firm of Freedman, Tung, and Bottomley from San Francisco completed the Downtown Specific Plan for the City. Freedman, Tung, and Bottomley and the staff of the City of Livermore as a design team have developed the First Street Streetscape Improvements Project. The improvements included narrowing First Street between Maple Street/Railroad Avenue and L Street to two lanes of traffic (one in each direction). A "flexible zone" was installed which allowed for diagonal parking, outdoor dining, and/or sidewalk vendor activities as well as art displays. A number of new features including trellises, a new step curb, new street lighting, additional trees and other landscape features were also installed.
The project was completed in spring 2006.
The first priority project from the City Council-approved Downtown Specific Plan involved substantial modifications and improvements to First Street. The primary change involved shifting the roadway from its previous use as a state highway to a downtown street with a more pedestrian friendly orientation, to recreate the City's "living room".