The second most populous city in California, San Diego, wants to revolutionize its approach to planning parks and open space.
"The city of San Diego is on the precipice of replacing a decades-old way of thinking about its parks, emphasizing quality over quantity in a new planning approach that could have profound effects on disadvantaged neighborhoods and older ones already built to capacity," reports Jennifer Van Grove.
The evolution of parks planning in San Diego is encapsulated in a draft version of the city's new Parks Master Plan, released in April. The previous park plan for the city dates back to 1956.
Among the foundational changes proposed by the draft Parks Master Plan is a points system for quantifying the access of residents to quality parks. Today, the city’s parks standard is 2.8 acres for every 1,000 people. "Going forward, the standard will be 12 points for every 1,000 residents, with points representing the recreational value of the park’s size, features, connection to transit or programming," according to Van Grove.
The city will seek input on the draft from the public until the end of May.
FULL STORY: San Diego shakes up citywide approach to parks with focus on access, amenities
Serpentine Maze: Pop-Up Parks in the Pandemic
If the combined effects of winter's cold and the pandemic has you bummed, check out this community-building exercise in the frozen North.
Reimagined Public Spaces and Programming During the Pandemic
Public spaces have become more important than ever. Here are five case studies of innovative and safely designed programming that engages people of all ages and backgrounds.
San Diego Planners Want to Reform Park Funding System
The San Diego Planning Department wants to change the system that currently funds improvements to public amenities, facing considerations about the implementation and legality of the proposed alternative.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
San Antonio Remains Affordable as City Grows
The city’s active efforts to keep housing costs down through housing reforms and coordinated efforts among city agencies and developers have kept it one of the most affordable in the nation despite its rapid population growth.
What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities
U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland