KTUA Landscape Architecture and Planning

Yesterday, KTUA enjoyed attending the official groundbreaking celebration for the new Marcy Park playground and ADA improvements. The University City community has worked tirelessly with the City of San Diego for nearly 15 years to envision and fund the much-needed park improvements to this beloved neighborhood park. Improvements included newly designed play areas catering to children aged 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. Each play area will incorporate shaded structures and equipment that comply with ADA standards. Additionally, a new ADA-compliant walkway and pedestrian-scale lighting will link the sidewalk on Stresemann Street to the playgrounds. Groundbreaking attendees and speakers included US House of Representative - Mr. Scott Peters; Council President Pro Tem - Mr. Joe LaCava; City of San Diego, Councilman - Mr. Kent Lee; Ms. Ruth De Santis - University City Community Association; and Director of Parks and Recreation - Mr. Andy Fields.

It was a beautiful fall day for some of our KTUA staff and family members to get outdoors and move! 🍂 🍁 We enjoyed a hike together at the Big Laguna Lake Loop. 🚶 🌳

Walk audits are an integral part of the planning process for our active transportation and complete streets plans. As such, KTUA organized a staff training to equip team members with experience by walking a quarter-mile loop around our Hillcrest office. Placemaking elements, such as utility box art, murals, and the lovely Pride Square 🏳️🌈, in addition to the wide sidewalks and shade trees 🌳, all contribute to a walkable environment. We saw many people out walking and rolling 🚶♂️ 🧑🦽🚲 . While we felt we needed more time crossing University Avenue and observed drivers moving fast, we still believe Hillcrest overall is a walkable and vibrant neighborhood that we love working in!

It's that time of year again! 🍁 🍂 🌻 Members of KTUA participated in our annual pumpkin carving competition. 🎃 Winners included the Pirate Ship with Candy Treasure and the Fall Inspired Community Garden. 🏆 Other creative and whimsical entries were the Krystal Ball, KTUA Pumpkin Office, and the innovative Halloween Pumpkin Drink! It was delicious!

Members of KTUA enjoyed a day on the greens supporting the 44th Annual ASLA-SD Golf Tournament at the Maderas Golf Club. ⛳ All proceeds benefited the Tracy Morgan Hollingsworth Community Grant Program! @asla_sd

Our Sweetwater Park project at Chula Vista Bayfront saw a significant milestone yesterday with the installation of the public art piece by Roberto Salas (@robertosalasartist). "Rigors of Flight" is an almost 20' tall interpretation of a furcula or wishbone, a bone unique to avian species. The sculpture is a nod to the significance of San Diego Bay and the Chula Vista Bayfront as a waypoint for migratory birds headed south along the Pacific Flyway.

Ever wondered what life is like without a car? Last week, KTUA staff members participated in the #WeekWithoutDriving challenge and experienced the daily reality of millions who rely on #walking, #transit, and other modes of transportation. The #WeekWithoutDriving challenge affirmed the importance of our work in helping communities create connected, accessible, safe, and reliable public transit and active transportation options for all. Here's a snapshot of our experience: 🚴♀️Morgen rode her bike to work and said: "Riding my bike to work makes me feel connected to my community and is a fun way to start my day, plus I enjoy my commute!" 🚌 Madeline took the bus to run errands and said: "My bus was a few minutes late and it got me thinking about people using transit that have to be places at a specific time having to budget in time for delays and plan around the bus schedule that probably doesn't align perfectly with their own schedule." 🚊Joe caught a ride from his son to the nearest trolley stop and took the trolley and a bus to the office, which ended up being about 3x longer than his driving commute. He missed the bus coming home, so had to order an Uber for $32. Joe said: "I felt like a tourist and enjoyed a stress-free commute and would absolutely do it again." 🚍 Marina rode the bus to work and said: "I enjoyed my experience taking the bus and found it to be an easy and convenient way for me to commute to work. However, despite the bus being on time and efficient, taking the bus was still 4x longer than driving, which limited the activities I had time for before/after work." 🚶♀️Kristie walked to her weekend destinations and said "My experience was fun but a little challenging. I am so dependent on my car, but it was nice to break away from it for a day. My plan was to ride my bicycle to my son's baseball game at the high school. I soon discovered that I had a flat tire, so I decided to walk. It is approximately 1.5 miles from my house. The challenge was that it was a very hot day. I ended up catching a ride home from someone due to the heat. Later that evening, I walked to a local eatery for dinner with a friend, and to catch the Padres game." 🚴Tim rode his bike and took the ferry from Hillcrest to Coronado and said "“Riding your bicycle to work offers a straightforward yet invigorating experience, coupled with the rewarding feeling of contributing positively to the environment.”

KTUA took the California Clean Air Day pledge! We’re proud to join hundreds of others across the state who are coming together to commute for clean air on Wednesday, October 2! Here are some of the pledges KTUA staff are making today: 🚌 Take public transit or bike to my destination 🥪 Bring my lunch to work or walk to lunch 🥙 Eat vegan/vegetarian for a day 🛍️ Shop local Join us as we take collective action to make a difference. 🌎 Take the pledge at SANDAG.org/cleanairday. #SANDAG #CleanAirDayCA @SANDAGregion

KTUA is embracing the #WeekWithoutDriving challenge! 👨🏿🦽 From September 30 to October 6th, some of our staff members will be giving up driving for one or more days and joining the millions of people who travel across their communities by walking/rolling, cycling, public transit, or other modes of transportation. 🚴 Join us in exploring the impact this challenge can have on our well-being, communities, environment, and more. 🛣️ Together, we can pave the way for safer, connected, #accessible communities for all. 🚌 Are you ready to see the difference a week can make? Sign up to take this challenge with us at weekwithoutdriving.org

Join KTUA in fostering #InclusiveCommunities & #HealthyCommunities with the #WeekWithoutDriving challenge (starting a week from today)! 🚌 This initiative sheds light on the daily #transportation barriers faced by nearly a third of Americans - including those with disabilities, seniors, and low-income individuals. 👨🏿🦽 By participating, we can contribute to meaningful discussions and actions toward more accessible and equitable transportation solutions. 🚴 Learn how you can participate at weekwithoutdriving.org