Overview

Downtown San Diego’s parks and open space provide a necessary balance to the planned density so residents, workers, and visitors can relax, recreate, gather together or enjoy some solitude. They foster community pride, define the public realm, and support urban culture.

The 2006 Downtown Community Plan calls for a total of 125 acres of open space. An implementation strategy prioritizes the development of seven new major public open spaces which will serve as the nuclei for the various neighborhoods, putting every downtown resident within a five- to ten-minute walk of public open space. On behalf of the City’s Redevelopment Agency, existing parks and open spaces such as Children’s Park and Gaslamp Square are in the process of being reactivated through design enhancements, while the historic park at Horton Plaza will be expanded to include a new public urban plaza. An interim leash-free dog park is also planned for East Village to provide for a growing need. The Port of San Diego will soon begin Phase I of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, which will dramatically improve public access and enjoyment of the waterfront from Navy Pier north to the B Street Pier, as well as a portion of West Broadway, from North Harbor Drive east to just beyond Pacific Highway. The County of San Diego plans to begin construction of a waterfront park around the historic County Administration Building in January 2012. Collectively, these projects will enhance quality of life for all who live, work and visit San Diego.