Fifteen years ago, UC Berkeley commissioned MKThink to guide a community planning process to envision ideal community uses for the People's Park, a 2.8-acre site owned by the University that has had a long history of political controversy since its beginning in 1969. This article highlights the tensions that universities continue to face as they attempt to balance evolving student needs with intensifying space constraints at the campus core.These are exactly the type of tensions we lean into at MKThink-- using a healthy mix of data-driven insights, stakeholder engagement, and creative design solutions to unlock hidden opportunity for growth.