So much of Living in Downtown San Diego is tied to the residents interaction with their urban landscape. Organizations such as RAD Lab and The Downtown San Diego Partnership are asking the right question:
How can we improve the Downtown San Diego urban landscape to become more enjoyable and beautiful for its residents and Visitors?
Along this line of thinking, what was once an unused eyesore can be transformed into an interactive art installation and unique urban experience. This past weekend The Grand Opening and ceremonial blue ribbon cutting celebration for Pocket Park was held, which marked the start of something new in the East Village. The empty lot on the 1200 block of J Street, between Park Blvd & 13th Street next to The Mission restaurant, officially opened to the public and became a 2,500 square foot mini Urban Community Park. For more info you can read the San Diego CityBeat article entitled: New East Village Pocket Park to Include Interactive Art
The outdoor space was designed with a combination of wooden pallets to climb and sit on, trees/greenery, local art, and open space. Painted across the ground and atop the pallets are large white letters, which form a word puzzle game using words unique to the neighborhood such as “PADRES”. Along the back is a wall multi-level herb garden. The small plot of land is privately owned by HP Investors. The Downtown San Diego Partnership enlisted the help of the East Village Association and the design expertise of local architectural firm RAD Lab to design the space. The park was created with the mind set of making the most out of limited space in a busy urban neighborhood. Clever idea making this new gathering space in the community. The San Diego Partnership refers to these projects as “tactical urbanism”. A term defined as:
Events which seek to demonstrate how small, quick urban interventions can make a big impact on communities.
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