Final Project-Pedestrian Promenade

The Clairemont Mesa area of San Diego is known for its winding canyons and hilly landscapes. The importance of open space and the successful integration of soft, hard, built, and un-built landscapes will improve the overall system of a mixed community. The pedestrian promenade is the east west connection throughout the site to the canyons on either side. The promenade offers not only comfortable paths for strolling, but a running path and areas to lounge on the site. It creates an open circulation path that caters to pedestrians and encouraged pedestrian travel from surrounding neighborhoods and uses. The first step of the design process was to establish a site center. The center parking area of the current site will be transformed from an over-scaled and under-utilized area into a civic square defined by urban, mixed-use buildings. An element that is important in redevelopment and suburban infill is the creation of a walkable neighborhood. Walkable communities are desirable place to live, work, learn, worship and play. Their desirability comes from two factors. First, walkable communities located within an easy and safe walk to goods (such as housing, office and retail) and services (such as transportation, schools, libraries) that a community resident or employee needs on a regular basis. Secondly, walkable communities make pedestrian activity possible, which expands transportation options and creates a streetscape that better serves a range of users- pedestrians, bicyclists, transit rides, and automobiles. To foster walkability, communities must mix land uses and build compactly while also ensuring safe and inviting pedestrian corridors. One element of the pedestrian corridor is a fountain that lies just north of the center community green. This fountain would be a series of board-form concrete pillars and despite the long tradition of fountains designed only to be looked at, this fountain is meant to have an interaction between water and people. The ability to create an active site also allows for the community to foster a distinctive, active neighborhood with a strong sense of place. The design of this project should take cues from the surrounding context, integrating seamlessly into the fabric and convey an important sense of built permanence in the neighborhood. The project should reflect the values and cultures of the people that reside there and promote types of physical environments which support community connectivity. When a community feels they are part of a project, they take pride in the construction and preservation of the buildings, ensuring that the project is maintained for many years to come.

Pedestrian Promenade Site Plan


Fountain

Running Path Perspective

Digital Perspective