AIA San Diego is partnering with Bay to Park Paseo on Saturday, September 21, for a special walkabout event as part of Design Week. Enjoy a 1.7-mile walking experience along Park Boulevard, from San Diego Bay to Balboa Park. This event is part of AIA San Diego's year-long celebration of Design Excellence in San Diego.
Bay to Park Paseo Spotlights Experience Installations Along Downtown San Diego’s Park Boulevard
‘Bay to Park Paseo’ Connects San Diego Bay and Balboa Park Using Engaging Installations to Encourage Walking and Enjoyment
SAN DIEGO (June 26, 2024) – The Bay to Park Paseo, first envisioned by urban planner John Nolen in 1908, is the work of San Diego’s design and artist communities joining forces to enhance the connection between our two crown jewels, San Diego Bay and Balboa Park.
Bay to Park Paseo features impermanent, engaging and interesting installations from 13 volunteer multi-disciplinary design teams including architects, designers, planners and artists along the 1.7-mile-stretch of Park Boulevard through downtown.
The project includes up to 13 installations in public spaces outside iconic locations along Park Boulevard, 11 of which are on display now. Installations will span from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront to the east entrance of Balboa Park at Presidents Way.
“Everyone involved with Bay to Park Paseo is dedicated to enhancing the public realm by generating more walking, more enjoyment and more feet and eyes on the street,” said Pete Garcia, co-founder of URBAN INTERVENTIONS. “The Bay to Park Paseo experience is free, earth-friendly, engaging and transformative.”
Construction of the installations is made possible with support from the project’s sponsors, including the Port of San Diego, area philanthropists, Downtown San Diego Partnership and several others.
“The Bay to Park Paseo experience is the perfectly welcoming way for visitors and residents to walk between two of San Diego’s most iconic attractions, San Diego Bay and Balboa Park,” said Chairman Frank Urtasun, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “Providing the public with this inviting and interactive walkway only enhances their connection to our beautiful waterfront.”
The design is based on tactical urbanism and design thinking which uses low-cost, short-term, and scalable design, public art and landscape interventions to catalyze long-term change.
“This project exists because dozens of remarkable, design-minded San Diegans are donating their time and their ‘design thinking’ skills to address challenges in the public sphere,” said urban planner E. Chloé Lauer.
The project is created and presented by Pete Garcia and Beth Callender of URBAN INTERVENTIONS and E. Chloé Lauer, urban planner and Executive Director of the San Diego County Bike Coalition.
Free public guided tours of The Paseo will be available starting the first and third Saturdays of each month through Saturday, September 21. They start at 10:30 a.m. in the front of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and end at Balboa Park at Presidents Way. Self-guided tours are available at any time using the public sidewalk along Park Boulevard.
Bay to Park Paseo is a fiscally sponsored project of the San Diego Public Spaces Foundation and is endorsed by World Design Capital 2024 San Diego Tijuana as an Impact Project.
About Bay to Park Paseo
Bay to Park Paseo is a 1.7-mile walking experience along Park Boulevard from San Diego Bay to Balboa Park through downtown. It is led by volunteer designers, artists and storytellers who have created unique, engaging, and impermanent pedestrian experience. Bay to Park Paseo connects San Diego’s two iconic gems, a goal first articulated by notable urban planner John Nolen in 1908.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A 1.7 mile walk connecting San Diego’s two crown jewels, the San Diego Bay and Balboa Park through downtown. The Paseo features a series of pop-up, temporary installations to create an entertaining, and memorable walking experience.
The project has been endorsed as an Impact Project by the World Design Capital 2024 San Diego Tijuana. Learn more about the World Design Capital 2024 designation, https://wdc2024.org/.
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From the San Diego Bay at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront to the east entrance to Balboa Park at Presidents Way.
The walk can be accomplished moving in either direction along Park Boulevard, it goes through the East Village neighborhood of downtown San Diego.
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The project uses Tactical Urbanism and Design Thinking (see below) to design experiences for 13 “zones.” The reason the 1.7 miles was divided into zones is due to the unique nature of the many blocks along the Park Boulevard – some pass major institutions such as Petco Park and the Central Library, some have an urban street character with street trees and adjacent buildings, still others are more pastoral such as San Diego City College campus.
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Tactical Urbanism refers to an approach to neighborhood-building using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions to improve the public realm and catalyze long-term change.
Design Thinking uses a multi-disciplinary approach to solving all types of challenges including those in the public sphere. For example, the Bay to Park Paseo has over 70+ designers including architects, landscape architects, urban planners, storytellers, and artists working on 13 “zones.” A full list of participants is included at the end of this document.
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Getting out of the car and walking delivers on many societal goals. It’s more environmentally sustainable, improves public health, creates people traffic and “eyes on the street” to improve the feeling of safety, which in turn builds community and economic prosperity.
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The Paseo is open through November 2024.
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The Bay to Park Paseo is being promoted throughout 2024. Some of the installations may stay up longer.
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The Downtown San Diego Clean and Safe includes Park Boulevard as part of their maintenance district.
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The project is presented by Pete Garcia and Beth Callender of the non-profit URBAN INTERVENTIONS and Chloé Lauer, Urban Designer and Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. It is a fiscally sponsored project of the Downtown San Diego Public Spaces Foundation.
Pete Garcia and Beth Callender
Partners in life and in URBAN INTERVENTIONS, a non-profit dedicated to transforming underserved urban areas by designing and funding public art and placemaking interventions. Pete had a long, successful career as a designer, builder, developer, and owner of real estate projects, including IDEA1 in downtown San Diego’s East Village. He is also a published writer and painter. Beth co-founded Greenhaus – an award-winning advertising and marketing company working throughout the U.S. and Mexico. She is a long-time member of Urban Land Institute.
Chloé Lauer
Chloé is a local mobility advocate and non-profit leader. She’s the co-founder of Walk n Roll San Diego and Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. With a background in urban planning, she received her master's from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
Downtown San Diego Public Spaces Foundation.
The Downtown San Diego Public Spaces Foundation is a 501(c)(3) managed by the Downtown San Diego Partnership. The Foundation seeks to raise funds in the San Diego region to be used for the benefit of public parks and open space within Downtown San Diego. The Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life in our urban communities through improvements, services, and activation in Downtown’s parks and open spaces.
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The Paseo is being sponsored by public institutions, private philanthropy, local business, and private individuals. The 13 teams involved in the project donated their design time, money was raised to offset materials, fabrication, production services, permitting, and installation.
Bay to Park Paseo Teams & Exhibit Descriptions
Bay Zone at Bayfront Park
Team: Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Garibaldi Reflections – celebrating the Garibaldi, the California state fish.
Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Team: Safdie Rabines Architects, TY-LIN, & UDG Projects
Hermes Copper Butterfly – bringing attention to a threatened local species and icon for the Paseo and region.
Park 12 (across from Petco Park)
Team: Carrier Johnson + Culture & Ines Esnal, Artist
Cultural Fusion – an art piece that highlights the cultural connections of our unique border region.
Central Library
Team: Rob Wellington Quigley Architects & Our Worlds
Before There Were Borders – digital art accessed through QR codes that tell the stories of the history, and common values found between the native peoples of the region.
Connector Block (between Island and J Street)
Team: Studio E Architects
Walk and Learn – travel through time by using colorful viewfinders that celebrate San Diego’s past and transformation.
Park & Market
Team: UC San Diego Design Lab Faculty and Students
What does home mean to you? – interact with 3-dimensional displays and share your story.
NewSchool of Architecture & Design
Team: Architects Mosher Drew, Mike Stepner & Frank Wolden
Memories at Midpoint – uses a design approach to highlight one of the biggest environmental threats to both the Bay and the Park – plastics. The exhibit uses colorful elements to engage and educate.
IDEA1
Team: Miller Hull Architects
The Desert Super Bloom – an interpretive landscape designed to engage and educate passersbys about the beauty and diversity of the region and our shared impact.
Kilroy Realty (E Street and Broadway)
Team: Howard Blackson, Urban Designer & Armando de la Torre, Artist
Along the Blue Line – an art installation featuring the people and nature of the trolley line.
Smart Corner (Broadway and C Street)
Team: James Brown, Public Architecture & Arzu Ozkal, Artist
Reading Between the Lines – a playful and engaging installation using the building as the canvas.
San Diego City College
Team: Perry Vasquez & Pete Garcia, Designers
I Have a Dream!
San Diego High School
Team: McCullough Landscape Architecture
Jorneyworm – weaving among the trees.
Near I-5 Bridge
Team: Balboa Park Cmte. of 100, URBAN INTERVENTIONS, UDG Projects & Perry Vasquez, Artist
Kate Sessions @ San Diego High School
