What’s Next for San Diego’s Civic Core?
This month, RDAC will host members of the Civic Center Revitalization Committee, architect Jennifer Luce, FAIA of LUCEet Studio, and Betsy Brennan, President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. The Committee, called the Civic Center Revitalization Committee, is charged with developing and evaluating ideas to identify socioeconomic needs and opportunities for the city, ensuring city staff can continue delivering world-class services to the people it serves, and shaping the parameters for what will be a transformative catalyst for civic core in downtown.
Jennifer Luce
Jennifer Luce is a licensed Architect practicing in California and New York. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in 1984. Jennifer established her eponymous multi-disciplinary architectural practice, LUCE et studio, in 1990. In 1994, Jennifer earned her Master of Design Studies from Harvard University and is now a member of the Alumni Council and HAA Alumni Board. In 2016, the American Institute of Architects recognized Jennifer’s outstanding contribution to the field and elevated her to the College of Fellows.
LUCE et studio has completed projects for the San Diego Public Library, San Diego Museum of Art, the New Children’s Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, and most recently the $55 million renovation and expansion of the Mingei International Museum at Balboa Park. Jennifer serves on a variety of advisory boards for cultural institutions and presently co-chairs both the AIA California Monterey Design Conference and the San Diego Civic Center Revitalization Citizens’ Committee.
Betsy Brennan
Betsy Brennan is the President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the economic prosperity and cultural vitality of Downtown’s urban neighborhoods. Brennan leads the organization’s staff of more than 100 to provide a broad spectrum of services to benefit Downtown. These include providing a quality membership program to more than 300 individuals and stakeholder organizations, conducting successful advocacy in service of the organization’s mission, telling the story of the market as the voice of Downtown, and providing excellent public services to keep 275 blocks of Downtown clean, safe and thriving. Since 2018, Brennan has brought her background in leadership at the City of San Diego, community-serving nonprofits, and educational institutions to the benefit and growth of the organization, helping it gain new relevancy as a critical piece of the bright future of the San Diego region.
Brennan earned her Juris Doctor, with a specialization in land use, at the University of San Diego (2003) and brings this expertise to her work in Downtown.
The Regional Design Advisory Council (RDAC) operates under the auspices of the Advocacy Commission and meets monthly. Members include design professionals interested in helping to shape San Diego’s future and address the “big picture” issues in the region.
RDAC meets via Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Noon
