“Where Is San Diego’s Public Realm?”
April 20, 2013
The demolition of Horton Plaza’s Robinsons-May is underway. The building, only 27 years old, will be replaced by 1.3 acres of parkland. This is just one example of our recent re-consideration of open spaces as critical components of our urban environment.
A newspaper editorial opined, “Park improvement is among the most important undertakings now before the city. It should have the cordial co-operation of all.” This is from a San Diego Union editorial of 1910, a call to execute a 1908 proposal by Boston urban planner John Nolen. Titled “San Diego: A Comprehensive Plan for Its Improvement,” it laid out the first system of parks for our region. A century later, a column in the U-T asked, “What, then, is the measure of a great city or region? … the most overlooked measure is a city’s dedication to public space.”
In that regard, we have some catching-up to do. The Trust for Public Lands recently found that, within 40 regions it had surveyed, parks are within walking distance, on average, of 75% of the populace. In San Diego it’s only 62%; our city is #15. Within the surveyed regions, for every 10,000 people, there are, on average, 2.17 playgrounds. We have only 1.75; we’re #27, not a position of pride. We’re low not only in parks and playgrounds, but plazas, pedestrian streets, all the places where the public can gather.
At the FSDA’s April meeting, Michael Stepner, professor at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design and former San Diego city architect, will discuss this deficiency and its cure. Come for a presentation that’ll range from Mr. Nolen’s 1908 vision to Mr. Stepner’s 20/20 vision.
(John Mann)