San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park

The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.

1 minute read

April 7, 2025, 10:00 AM PDT

By Christine McLaren


Rendering of proposed greenway design for downtown San Diego street.

Rendering of proposed greenway design from Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan. | City of San Diego / Mobility Plan

San Diego is replacing a lane of parking downtown with a greenway that will feature a row of trees, a rocking bench, and children’s play infrastructure. The single-block project is the second phase of the city’s effort to convert under-utilized public rights of way into pedestrian promenades on six downtown streets. The latest project will take place on 14th Street between Market Street and Island Street and will cost $3.8 million.

“The Market-to-Island greenway was made possible by a late February allocation of $2.4 million from a downtown-specific fund reserved for park and infrastructure upgrades. On Feb. 25, the San Diego City Council voted unanimously in favor of the allocation and a compensation agreement with nonprofit Civic San Diego, which is overseeing construction,” reports Jennifer Van Grove for the San Diego Tribune.

Play infrastructure that will be featured on the greenway includes a chess table and other games boards and a musical chime that children can activate by jumping. 

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 in The San Diego Union-Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of residential street in Los Angeles with palm trees and hazy city in distance.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience

Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

April 27 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Entrance sign for San Jose-Santa Clara Regional wastewater treatment facility.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action

As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

April 27 - * A Placemaking Journal

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

April 27 - WHYY