San Diego Architectural Foundation

Howard Blackson, Michael J. Stepner, FAIA, FAICP, and special guest Steve Mouzon, AIA are hosting a dialog on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design in San Diego at the Whistle Stop Bar (2236 Fern Street) in South Park on Sunday, 10/10/10 at 4 p.m. 
   
Why? See picture below....
OK, so the dialog is not actually about the Waterfront per se, but we will openly discuss the resulting character of our built form along San Diego's waterfront and in its downtown and surrounding neighborhoods during our Great Recession.

The event is free to attend. We'll begin with a few slides/images to spark dialog, but the event is really about drinking a beer, thinking a little, and talking a lot about the city we live and work in. Steve Mouzon will give a lecture, bring copies of his new book, The Original Green and sign autographs.
 
If you want to share images and/or lead a topic point, please coordinate through Howard Blackson (619.955.2559), or just come by to listen and talk among your friends and colleagues. It's a loosely organized event to simply host meaningful dialog on an important subject: Sustaining San Diego.

A team of students from North Carolina has reimagined urban living in San Diego's East Village with their winning entry in the 2010 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition.
     
The winning proposal, called “Family Oriented Development/F.O.D.,” emphasizes neighborhood diversity, affordability to families of mixed incomes, and walkability. Recognizing the importance of providing housing for families within urban neighborhoods, their plan accommodates the diverse needs of families of all sizes, ages, and economic levels and incorporates many critical family-friendly elements, such as community space, connectivity, public arts, and job incubation.
   
“Cities all across the U.S. face the issue of accommodating families with children in denser neighborhoods and it’s one we need to address. This team took it on in a very brave solution,” said Jury Co-Chairman Bert Gregory, FAIA, LEED-AP, and president and chief executive officer of Mithun in Seattle.
   
The competition encouraged students to respond to the city’s goals of tripling the current downtown residential capacity to 90,000 and doubling the downtown workforce to 165,000.
     
Although there is no intention that the students' plans will be implemented as part of any development of the site, they may serve as some "out of the box" inspiration for local developers.
   
Check out the story in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
   
Check out more images of the winning proposal and the runners-up.