Here’s the short version: Daybreak builds life around lively centers. As a result, daily errands, parks, and culture sit closer to home.
Urban Planning 101 • Daybreak Story
What Is Centers‑Based Development?
First, picture a place you love. It probably mixes homes, shops, dining, and a public square. Centers‑based planning creates these destinations on purpose—and at a walkable scale. In Daybreak, three types of centers work together so you can walk, bike, or ride TRAX instead of driving everywhere.
Neighborhood Centers
Neighborhood Centers serve the nearby blocks. They sit by a pocket park or square and often include a civic use. In addition, attached homes and small lots keep more people within a five‑minute walk. Design limits parking, so the square feels like a place—not a parking lot.
Example: The area around the Daybreak Community Center in Founders Park. Homes frame Callender Square, and neighbors naturally gather there.
The Founders Park Neighborhood Center is home to the Daybreak Community Center, Founders Park elementary school, and a church. It is organized around a “town square” called Callender square. It is also flanked by townhomes and smaller single family homes.
Village Centers
Village Centers turn up the energy. You’ll find main‑street style shops, local dining, and services, plus homes that support those businesses. Meanwhile, streets, plazas, and parking work together to host weekend markets and festivals.
- SoDa Row — Daybreak’s original Village Center (opened 2008) with dining, retail, and events woven into a walkable grid.
- North Shore Village Center — A lakeside hub anchored by a Harmons Neighborhood Grocer (opened 2022), with more retail and homes nearby.
In addition to SoDa Row’s main street, the center is home to some 500 homes including various townhomes and the Sagewood Senior Living Center. The shops and eateries also benefit from nearby South Station where an additional 500 homes are currently in place with additional homes being added regularly adjacent to the TRAX station.
Town Center (Downtown Daybreak)
Downtown Daybreak serves the whole region. It concentrates homes, jobs, and entertainment in a connected street network. Most importantly, transit ties it all together.
- TRAX Red Line — Three stations—South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan Downtown, and Daybreak Parkway—link Daybreak to Downtown SLC and the University of Utah.
- America First Square — A year‑round gathering place with The Ballpark at America First Square, dining, and entertainment.
New blocks will arrive over time. Even so, the aim stays clear: balance homes and jobs so more people live close to what they do.
An artists rendering of what the future town center might look like. Town Centers like Downtown Daybreak are designed to balance the jobs to housing ratio in a given area.
Why This Matters
- Walk more, drive less. Shorter trips encourage walking and biking.
- Support local. Nearby homes keep small businesses busy.
- Reduce traffic and emissions. TRAX and close‑by destinations cut car miles.
- Build community. Parks and squares become natural meeting spots.
