FSDA’s 2024-2025 Lecture Series

The Friends of San Diego Architecture presents inspiring lectures on architecture, design, and the built environment by speakers who stimulate thoughtful, community-centered discussions. After more than 40 years, the conversations continue.

March 15, 2025

Fun in the Sun: Placemaking and Designing in San Diego’s Public Realm

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Un dimanche après-midi à l’Île de la Grande Jatte) Georges Seurat, 1886 (Art Institute of Chicago)

The design of the public realm impacts our mental, physical, and social well-being, both as individuals and as communities. What do we need to do in San Diego to improve our surroundings — parks, plazas, public streets, and promenades? When we invest in our public spaces, we do more than improve health and economy — we restore trust in the local institutions that make our democracy work.

The panel, led by Mike Stepner, will discuss what makes a good public space, not only the amenities themselves, but also the necessary infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, and surrounding buildings, plus security and maintenance. Placemaking is about programming the spaces with activities that meet the needs of visitors and the surrounding community, and also about the economic value created for that community and the city.

Bill Anderson and Brooksie Hughes

March 15, 9:30 a.m.
NewSchool of Architecture & Design
1249 F St. (Enter on Park Blvd.)

Friends of San Diego Architecture Image Library of the Month

Southwestern USA

Enjoy our collection of historic architecture, maps, and more in this featured Southwestern USA gallery.

FSDA News of Interest

Missed a lecture? Check out our videos: Since September 2017, FSDA has been videotaping our lectures. They have been a work in progress. If you missed one of our lectures, you now have a chance to view them here. Architect Manuel Oncina talks about Libraries: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow; Architect Hal Sadler and Modernist Keith York have a dialogue about Evolving Styles: From the Sixties; Architects Ken Baldwin and Andy Darragh discuss From Labs to Libraries; Landscape Architect Vicki Estrada revisits San Diego Design Decisions, and, Architects Kathleen McCormick and Ted Smith present An Alternative Practice. We have now added our September and October lecture videos. We would love to have your comments.

November 2019: Diane Kane – Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Irving Gill: Modern Architecture Emerges

February 2020: Glen Schmidt – Mission Valley: An Open Space Renaissance

January 2022: Panel of Speakers – San Diego-Tijuana: World Design Capital 2024

The latest video now available and one you won’t want to miss!

UC San Diego: Billions in Development

FSDA Image Library: Our image library continues to grow with new images added often, so you might want to bookmark this link. We started with the Ned Paynter Collection and have now added the Diane Kane Collection, Competitions, Exhibits, and FSDA Events. This image is from the Southern California Gallery in the Diane Kane Collection.