9:30 AM, Saturday, February 18
1100 Market Street, 3rd Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

A growing body of research on innovation has clearly demonstrated which social processes favor creativity and innovation — as well as which represent barriers. One key to all innovation is the existence of places or spaces where people are free to explore new ideas and meander intellectually, unfettered by specific purposes, or bottom lines. These should be environments in which ideas, often untested and contradictory, can first be explored, as well as tested, informed, and adapted through interactions with others working in the same setting. Such is Park&Market, the UCSD downtown hub at Park Boulevard and Market Street.

Mary Walshok will share insights into the highly intentional social purposes at Park&Market, and how project architect Gensler and UC San Diego approached the design process.

Recently retired as associate vice chancellor for public programs and dean of UCSD Extension, Walshok joined the university in 1972. She was a co-founder of Connect, a nonprofit that brings together entrepreneurs and startups, and is the author of a number of books, including Closing America’s Job Gap (2010) and Invention and Reinvention: The Evolution of San Diego’s Innovation Economy (2014).  

Throughout her career, Walshok played an active role in helping UCSD expand its local impact, national reputation, and global reach. She and her team developed outreach efforts to accelerate the San Diego region’s economic vitality, grow the region’s globally competitive talent pool, and help college graduates transition to high-demand employment areas.


 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This presentation will be held at the Park&Market building, a block south of FSDA’s usual venue, the NewSchool of Architectural & Design. Enter on the Market Street side and tell the security guard you’re there for the FSDA event and then go to the 3rd floor for her presentation. Before and after the presentation, attendees will be free to explore the ground floor public spaces and outdoor amphitheater. Afterwards, we also can check out both the 3rd floor and the 2nd floor, where the Digital Gym Cinema is located.

Please arrive 10-15 minutes early for coffee, snacks, and catching up with old friends. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

A $5 donation is requested.


For more information, see parkandmarket.ucsd.edu and friendsofsdarch.com.