San Diego and Urban Design
San Diego urban design elements are distinctive due to its exceptional natural setting comprised of beaches, bays, hills, canyons, and mesas. San Diego’s year-round climate also makes it possible for such a natural and open space system to exist and occupy of the City. Urban Design is a process to foster quality in the built and natural environment as the City Changes [1].
The historic evolution of urban design in San Diego incorporates a multitude of planners and architects that have brought ideas and policies to ensure the survival and development of the region. In order to have a clear grasp of the progression of urban design in San Diego, it is important to look at key points in the designing of this region through the last 100 years.
Historical Context of Urban Design
Fountain at Horton Plaza [3]
1893: Known as one of the most prominent and innovative architects of San Diego, Irving John Gill starts to examine and develop cost-efficient and comfortable housing. He established the start to a modern era of architecture in San Diego [2].
Major works:
Major works:
- Fountain at Horton Plaza (1909)
- Bentham and Scripps Hall; The Bishop’s School in La Jolla
- Christian Science Church; Downtown (1909-1910)
1908: As mentioned in the History, John Nolen’s Plan for the Improvement of San Diego presented a short and concise plan that incorporated the beautification of the region.
1915: The Panama-Pacific Exposition opened, and Balboa Park was made a token landscape in San Diego. The influence of Spanish architecture, also known as Spanish Baroque, on the design of buildings in Balboa Park such as the California Building was extensive. This brought about a stylistic movement called the Spanish Colonial Revival, derived from architecture of the California missions [4].
1926: The master planning of San Diego was taken on by John Nolen once again, which included the design for San Diego’s Civic Center, a project was never implemented [5].
1915: The Panama-Pacific Exposition opened, and Balboa Park was made a token landscape in San Diego. The influence of Spanish architecture, also known as Spanish Baroque, on the design of buildings in Balboa Park such as the California Building was extensive. This brought about a stylistic movement called the Spanish Colonial Revival, derived from architecture of the California missions [4].
1926: The master planning of San Diego was taken on by John Nolen once again, which included the design for San Diego’s Civic Center, a project was never implemented [5].
1974: After the extensive bulldozing of canyons and building upon open spaces, Kevin Lynch and Donald Appleyard voice their concern to the rapid growth of urban sprawl in their report, “Temporary Paradise? A Look at the Special Landscape of the San Diego Region.”
2002 and 2008: City of Villages, which is a comprehensive plan for the urban development of San Diego was created and edited respectively [2].
2002 and 2008: City of Villages, which is a comprehensive plan for the urban development of San Diego was created and edited respectively [2].
Before World War II, there was a large emphasis put on utilizing San Diego’s natural features and weather by building focusing on common open space through building porches and bungalow courts. However, this focus decreased during post war development.
One current challenge San Diego faces today is the reincorporation of pedestrian-orientated and open space design within the environmentally sensitive and compact pattern of development of today. Although there is constantly less available land to build upon, the potential San Diego has to continue growing into an environmentally conscious and pedestrian friendly city is immense [1].
Urban Design Strategy
Overtime, there have been various policy proposals and overviews of how to set out the City’s policy for land use and for what needs to be maintained, better managed, or completely eliminated. The Strategic Framework Element of 2002 is the first General Plan for the City to address future growth without literal expansion onto open lands, rather it explores other alternative ways to expand the city while conserving its natural qualities. This General Plan was updated in 2008 and became known as the City of Villages. Different community plans and this General Plan are both tools used to decide ways in which land can be used in the most effective and useful way.
Within the most recently amended plan, there are various design principles described that are said to aid in the development of the City.
Some of these elements are:
These are all ways in which the core values of urban design for San Diego can be enacted to achieve a higher overall quality of urban design.
These core values include:
Some of these elements are:
- contribute to the unique living environment of San Diego,
- build upon existing communities, implement direct growth into commercial areas, and
- preserve stable residential neighborhoods.
These are all ways in which the core values of urban design for San Diego can be enacted to achieve a higher overall quality of urban design.
These core values include:
- the natural environment,
- the City’s setting (open space, unique topography),
- an environmentally sensitive pattern of development, and
- the diversity of the City [1].
When discussing improvements to urban design in San Diego, an effort is always made to preserve all remaining natural features as much as possible. In order to do so, it is important to build upon existing communities and into areas with high level of activity and transit already exists, as stated earlier. In addition, the design plans of San Diego prioritize the safety of individuals and communities by designing the built environment focused on reducing crime.The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) provides numerous recommendations as to how to design safe environments. It is based off of four concepts: surveillance, access control, territoriality, and maintenance. [7].
Five goals of Urban Design
Distinctive Neighborhoods and Residential Design: The design quality to build housing is crucial when the City tries to preserve the preserving characters of existing neighborhoods.
Implementation Strategies:
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Mixed-Use Villages and Commercial Areas: High quality of urban design will be achieved through the maximum possible integration of activities connected to surrounding communities and transit systems. Villages, defined as mixed-use centers of a community where residential, commercial, employment, and civic uses are all present and active, will be compact and walkable and will service as areas for public gatherings and social events.
Implementation Strategies:
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Office and Business Park Development: It is important to build pleasant working environments that still consider all other factors of the environment. This can be achieved through the creation of design guidelines when building employment sights. Providing easy access to employment areas is also a challenge but extremely important in order for employees to have more liberty as to where they live.
Implementation Strategies:
Implementation Strategies:
- Design and provide safe pedestrian routes to office and business developments, to encourage walkability.
- Ensure the design of high quality and sustainable buildings and parking areas.
Implementation Strategies:
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Public Art and Cultural Amenities: these amenities are important in creating character within public spaces and improving the quality of built environment. These amenities are based off of The City of San Diego’s Public Art Program dating back to 1984.
Implementation Strategies:
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Rethinking and implemented urban design in a way that respects San Diego’s natural environment and open space system, and works toward creating growth within villages is extremely important. Urban design affects a multitude of different factors such as the physical, social, and cultural diversity of San Diego. Thus, it is crucial to be constantly thinking about and implementing new and unique urban design elements in San Diego to maintain and improve the quality of life in this city.
[1] "Urban Design Element." Sandiego.gov/planning/genplan. City of San Diego, Mar. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
[2] Kamerling, Bruce. "Irving John Gill (1870-1936)."
[3] http://www.carolmendelmaps.com/walking-tours/downtown/
[4] San Diego History Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013. Kalebaugh, Tehia. "San Diego, California." Www.sandiego.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
[5] Showley, Roger M. "Forgotten Visionary | The San Diego Union-Tribune." Forgotten Visionary | The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego Union Times, 07 Jan. 2007. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.
[6] http://www.equinoxcenter.org/research-topics/land-use/overview.html
[7] "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) For Urban Village Centers." City of San Diego Official Website. San Diego Police Department Neighborhood Policing Resource Team, May 2005. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.
[8] http://lynnsusholtz.net/north_park_community_park.html
[9] http://www.drasla.com/portfolio/multi-family-residential/
[10] http://www.palomarforum.com/property.html
[11] http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/dpa-san-diego-photos-9179.html
[12] http://www.panoramio.com/photo/24411670
[2] Kamerling, Bruce. "Irving John Gill (1870-1936)."
[3] http://www.carolmendelmaps.com/walking-tours/downtown/
[4] San Diego History Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013. Kalebaugh, Tehia. "San Diego, California." Www.sandiego.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
[5] Showley, Roger M. "Forgotten Visionary | The San Diego Union-Tribune." Forgotten Visionary | The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego Union Times, 07 Jan. 2007. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.
[6] http://www.equinoxcenter.org/research-topics/land-use/overview.html
[7] "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) For Urban Village Centers." City of San Diego Official Website. San Diego Police Department Neighborhood Policing Resource Team, May 2005. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.
[8] http://lynnsusholtz.net/north_park_community_park.html
[9] http://www.drasla.com/portfolio/multi-family-residential/
[10] http://www.palomarforum.com/property.html
[11] http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/dpa-san-diego-photos-9179.html
[12] http://www.panoramio.com/photo/24411670