Reconnecting Balboa Park
Landscape Architect, Urban Designer & Planner
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Saturday, January 18, 9:30 AM
NewSchool of Architecture & Design
1249 F Street, San Diego
The presentation will go over some of the history of Balboa Park prior to the construction of the I-5 and SR-163 highways, and what might be done to reconnect the “crown jewel of the City” with its various vibrant urban neighborhoods. The program concentrates on why this needs to be done and where those links may best be placed. Precedent images of gateway bridges that are both iconic and contextually relevant will be shown as well.
San Diego Commons was formed in 2019 to look at reconnecting the various communities in San Diego that were disrupted by I-5, SR-163, and SR-94. The vision originally included the creation of new parklands and the reconnection of bike and pedestrian links from urban areas into parks. The original concept of a freeway lid that could create a large amount of new public space has been re-calibrated to consider the use of two bridges: one connecting Cortez Hill, East Village, and Downtown with Balboa Park across I-5, with a second bridge connecting the south end of West Mesa with the Palisades area. A third bridge has been proposed to connect Golden Hills with Inspiration Point and various other trail and bridge upgrades are proposed for improving design aesthetics.
Mike Singleton retired in 2023 from the landscape architectural and planning firm KTUA after 35 years where he was a principal and owner for 30 of those years. He is a frequent presenter at the local and regional level concerning the interface between urban design, walkability, mixed-use growth, and sustainability components.
Singleton currently chairs the Uptown Community Planning Group and he is a former member of the Balboa Park Committee, Uptown Planners, and the Community Forest Advisory Board. He graduated with a B.S. in landscape architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1981 and joined KTUA in 1987. His credentials included Professional Landscape Architecture license, AICP, Certified Transportation Planner, and LEED AP. Some of Mike’s notable projects were HUD guidelines for walkable and bikeable communities, the SR-15 bus transit stations and bridge decks, as well as significant planning, station design, and landscape architecture for the Mid-coast transit line.
Mike and his wife, Sharon Singleton, also a principal and the marketing director at KTUA, both retired in 2023, after working together for 41 years. The couple have lived in San Diego since 1981, with their current home in Bankers Hill.
PLEASE NOTE: You may enter NewSchool through the Park Boulevard entrance in the middle of the 700-block for direct access to the lecture hall. The event is free and open to the public, but a $5 donation is requested. Arrive early to enjoy refreshments before a prompt 9:30 AM program start.