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Introduction and Overview 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Downtown San Diego is evolving into one of the The Community Plan capitalizes on the current most exciting urban districts anywhere. Poised momentum by guiding development of a mag- between sparkling San Diego Bay and Balboa nificent, vital urban setting. It seeks to ensure that Park—the largest cultural park in the coun- intense development is complemented with liv- try—and bestowed with a balmy Mediterranean ability through strategies such as the development climate, downtown is ideally positioned as the of new parks and Neighborhood Centers, and center of regional economic, residential, and emphasis on the public realm. Downtown will cultural activity, and as a center of influence on contain a lively mix of uses in an array of unique the Pacific Rim. This Community Plan estab- neighborhoods, a refurbished waterfront, and a lishes the policy framework that will shape further walkable system of streets, taking full advantage development in pursuit of this vision. of its climate and setting. Downtown has experienced a renaissance from a Many of downtown’s neighborhoods, including state of blight and decline in the mid-1970s fol- Gaslamp and Marina, are now established and lowing significant redevelopment efforts that began not expected to change significantly as down- with Horton Plaza and the Gaslamp Quarter in the town matures. Other areas—particularly in East 1980s. The continued success of these is evident Village—will undergo major transformations with in the vitality and energy of the area’s streets, its increasing residential and commercial activity. The emergence as a shopping and entertainment desti- Community Plan is consistent with the Strategic nation, and its booming residential growth – with a Framework Element of the City’s General Plan, current population of more than 20,000 and more accommodating in an urban environment a sig- than 9,000 housing units under construction. Its nificant portion of the growth expected in the San position as a business, cultural, and civic center has Diego region over the coming years. been bolstered by the expanded convention center and the new ballpark that draw thousands of visi- tors, and have spurred the development of hotels and supporting businesses. Downtown is a collection of exciting experiences and activities. It enjoys a unique waterfront location and climate, and is currently undergoing a residential boom. 1-2 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1 1.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Guiding Principles are at the heart of the Community Plan. They express a vision for downtown and its emergence as a major center “Rising on the Pacific”, together creating the overarching goals that the Plan strives to achieve. The Principles are the target for the future, and provide the platform for the detailed policies of the Plan and imple- menting ordinances. They have been shaped by input from community members and stakeholders, research into overall existing conditions and opportunities, enduring historical and cultural attributes, and specific issues such as economic and market conditions. Box 1-1: Community Plan: Guiding Principles • A distinctive world-class downtown, reflecting San Diego’s unique setting. San Diego has evolved into a desirable place to live, work, shop, learn, and play. The Community Plan builds upon downtown’s magnificent waterfront setting and its location as a transportation hub, and promotes outdoor and creative lifestyles. • The center of the region. Downtown is envisioned as the physical and symbolic heart of met- ropolitan San Diego. It will be the regional administrative, commercial, and cultural center, and downtown’s urban form will be an integral aspect of San Diego’s identity. • Intense yet always livable, with substantial and diverse downtown population. An intense downtown is central to not only fostering vibrancy, but also to curtailing regional sprawl—a key tenet of San Diego’s City of Villages strategy—and minimizing growth pressures in mature neighbor- hoods. Increased residential population will contribute to downtown’s vitality, improve economic success, and allow people to live close to work, transit, and culture. • A nucleus of economic activity. The Plan bolsters downtown’s position as the regional eco- nomic and employment center by ensuring availability of employment land, and development of regional destinations. The creation of jobs easily accessed via transit, bicycle, or on foot will also further regional mobility goals. • A collection of unique, diverse neighborhoods with a full complement of uses. The organiz- ing concept of the Community Plan is walkable neighborhoods with a mix of uses and easy access to open space, shops, services, amenities, and cultural attractions that create opportunities for true urban living. • A celebration of San Diego’s climate and waterfront location. The Plan fosters vital public spaces and active street-life. Building massing has been orchestrated to ensure that sunlight reaches parks and Neighborhood Centers. Open spaces are located to enable residents to live within an easy walk of a park, and streets are designed for pedestrian comfort, walking, and lingering. • A place connected to its context and to San Diego Bay. The Plan seeks to connect downtown’s neighborhoods to the waterfront with new streets and view corridors, re-establish Balboa Park’s relationship to downtown, and integrate downtown with the surrounding neighborhoods. It also fosters better linkages within downtown. • A memorable, diverse, and complex place. The need for a diverse downtown is reinforced by its relatively large size – about 1,500 acres. Neighborhoods with their own unique characters and scales, distinctive streetscapes, and a tapestry of places and experiences will ensure that downtown is memorable and explorable. All of downtown will be alive with arts and culture. 1-3 This comparison of downtown San Diego today (left) and in the future (right) shows transformation of the urban fabric, with the greatest change occurring in the eastern neighborhoods, including some of the highest building intensities, mix of uses, and new open space. 1-4 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1 NOTE: This image shows building heights and massing that may result from Community Plan policies, solely for illustrative purposes. 1-5 1.2 DOWNTOWN: A CAPSULE HISTORY Downtown San Diego has changed dramatically since its founding over 150 years ago, from a failing outpost to hub of the seventh largest U.S. city, enduring booms and busts, war and peace, and Old West and modernity. This section provides an overview of downtown’s history, focusing on the built environment and development planning efforts. Early Efforts The first European settlements in San Diego were the Mission and Old Town, established by Spaniards along the San Diego River in Mission Valley north of where downtown lies today. Shortly after the U.S. gained Alta California from Mexico in 1848, Andrew Gray and William Heath Davis attempted to settle the land that is now down- town San Diego, looking upon its natural port and the region’s favor- able weather as optimal conditions for growth. They purchased 160 acres between the waterfront, Front Street, and Broadway; imported pre-framed houses from the East Coast in preparation for new residents; and built a wharf at the foot of what is now Market Street. One of the original houses is now the oldest surviving downtown struc- ture, relocated to Fourth and Island Avenues. The early investors dedi- cated San Diego’s first park, now Pantoja Park, in the center of “New Town”. Plans did not develop as intended, however, and the area, also known as “Davis’ Folly”, underwent decline during the following 20 years. Horton’s Heyday Alonzo Horton arrived to a largely abandoned New Town in 1867, bought 960 acres of land, and began promoting growth. In order to maximize valuable corner properties, Horton’s Addition was platted in small 200- by 300-foot blocks, each containing twelve 50- by 100-foot lots. Streets were 80 feet wide, with the exception of two generous boulevards – Broadway and Market Street. A wharf was built at the end of Fifth Avenue, which was to become the primary retail and business street. Horton established downtown’s primary hotel at Fourth Avenue and Broadway, later replaced by the U.S. Grant Hotel; the building faced a small plaza that is now Horton Plaza Park. The courthouse was moved from Old Town in 1871, to a site a few blocks from what is now the Civic Center. Horton’s efforts and hopes for a railroad line fueled a boom that lasted into the late 1880s. Two newspapers, electric street lights, telephone and gas companies, and a streetcar system were established during this time. A cable car ran along Sixth Avenue, C Street, and Fourth Avenue and the railroad arrived in 1885. Historically, downtown business focused along the 5th Avenue and Broadway corridors (Broadway shown at Temporary Setback top), and residences to the north of this (7th and Ash St. below). The Gaslamp Quarter has changed substan- The boom of the 1860s to 1880s was followed by a real estate market tially from its early days to the present, while keeping collapse, and disappointment in railroad plans as freight traffic was a historic character in the heart of downtown (above). 1-6 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1 won over by Los Angeles. San Diego was aided significantly during the bust by John D. Spreckels, who invested in projects including dams and water works; modernizing the streetcar system; and building the Spreckels Theater, San Diego Union building, Hotel San Diego, and the Bank of America Building at Sixth and Broadway. Here to Stay Despite the bust of the late 1800s, city commerce was firmly centered in New Town by the early twentieth century. The area was heavily involved in the transportation and distribution of items ranging from building materials to food, leading to the construction of many ware- houses that still give character to parts of downtown today.
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