Find out about new developments, mixed-use projects, green building materials and techniques and more in this special section.
If you want to see what smart growth is all about, come to La Mesa. The city has been an active promoter of smart growth concepts dating back to the 1980s when construction began on the La Mesa Village Plaza, the first of six transit-oriented developments in the city that foster walkability. Located in the heart of the downtown village, La Mesa Village condominiums were built over retail commercial office space and are a short walking distance to the Spring Street trolley station.
Parks and open space are critical to satisfying the diverse recreational needs of downtown residents, visitors and work force, especially given high development intensities and the region's mild climate. They are also vital elements of smart growth, where opportunities for recreation and green space are blended with higher density development.
For the past 10 years, Latitude 33 Planning and Engineering has been involved in the preparation and processing of the Pacific Highlands Ranch Subarea Plan, which is based upon the goals of smart growth. The overall community includes residential, commercial, employment, open space and public land uses with an emphasis on pedestrian connections and internalizing vehicle trips.
Downtown condo residents can learn a lot from yacht dwellers, according to a trio of award-winning designers who have extensive experience in making the most of small spaces.
Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company, a theater organization dedicated to broadening the scope of San Diego's cultural environment, recently announced its Greening Mo`olelo Initiative -- an effort to institute sustainable practices and encourage the use of environmentally friendly materials throughout the theater community. To launch the initiative, Mo`olelo recently published "GREEN Theater Categories & Sustainable Guidelines," a document featuring the recommendations of architects and other experts in the green industry.
When the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce first banded together in 1923, it represented a population of around 1,500 people. By 1926, the chamber had a membership of nearly 25 percent of the community. This was nearly 30 years before the area would become incorporated as a city.
Homeowners can ensure a healthy home environment by fighting moisture and having the best ventilation.
CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. (NYSE: CBG), the world's largest commercial real estate services company (based on 2006 revenues), recently announced a goal to become carbon neutral by 2010 and a plan to assist clients with energy efficiency programs at the 1.7 billion square feet of building space that CB Richard Ellis manages around the world. This represents the first time a major commercial real estate services firm has announced plans to go carbon-neutral.
An ongoing update of the Otay Mesa Community Plan represents one of the most significant efforts by the city of San Diego to incorporate smart growth principles into the urban planning process.
Local development company Sand & Sea Equity Group has a lofty goal for its new 13-floor, East Village office condominium project, called the Nolan. The company plans to create a building worthy of a gold LEED rating, the second highest rating possible from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Maximizing the use of limited developable land has been a driving force behind planning strategies around the county for decades. The city of Santee was incorporated in 1980 and initiated the Santee General Plan to outline Santee's future and guide city growth. In 1986, the city of Santee adopted the Santee Towne Center Specific Plan that designated 706 acres in the heart of Santee for mixed-use development, master-planned to integrate commercial, residential and civic uses. Over 20 years later, Santee projects are still following the master plan.
Blame Al Gore and his eco-documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" or the rising cost of oil, but when it comes to home building and design, green is the new black.
Due to recent legislation, the process of installing solar electricity has become more complex, according to one of San Diego County's largest solar systems providers.
Cities are facing climate change. Urban areas are warming up. Storm water overflow is contaminating San Diego's beaches, bays and rivers. Development continues to encroach on the natural environment.
Like many cities across the nation, San Diego has not produced enough housing for middle-income workers. Among other reasons, developers say that shrinking availability of developable land, high land prices and rising construction costs make it difficult for work force housing projects to make economic sense.
Designing safe and healthy homes and neighborhoods is important in shaping the health of children and their families.
Henry Ford could little have known the impact his assembly-line produced automobiles would have on the future land use of the United States. The post-WWII American dream was nearly ubiquitous. Own a home, preferably with a white picket fence, and park a large car in the attached garage.
San Elijo Hills, the award-winning, ocean view community located on the highest point of coastal North County, is marking two milestones: the opening of two new neighborhoods by California Cove and the close-out of D.R. Horton's intimate Palisades enclave.
PHOENIX -- Arizona utility regulators last week rejected a utility's plan to build a $581 million power transmission line to carry electricity generated at plants in Arizona to customers in California.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Wachovia Corp. (NYSE: WB) plans to only build "green" financial centers by the end of next year, starting with eight soon-to-open banking offices in southern California.
Continuing its commitment to providing entrepreneurs and small businesses with the most intelligent for-sale office opportunities, Urban West has recently released small Class A office space in one of the San Diego's most prestigious, fastest growing areas, EastLake. Located at 2080 Otay Lakes Road, immediately west and visible from the soon-to-open SR 125 freeway is beautiful EastLake Village Limited Edition.
With the increasing concern about traffic congestion, fuel prices, urban sprawl and global warming, it comes as no surprise that smart growth and transit-oriented development are increasingly favored by local governments, residents and local developers.
San Diego's vision of a "City of Villages" has propelled the continued development of Quarry Falls, the 230-acre master plan by Sudberry Properties that seeks to integrate residential, commercial, employment and civic uses in the heart of Mission Valley. The property, a current sand and gravel quarry just west of I-805 in Mission Valley, will feature a diversity of homes, public parks, a fire station, a childcare center and a charter school among its forthcoming amenities.
A major mixed-use development being planned at Seventh and Market appears destined to rise 42-stories above the East Village.
The Irvine Co. will have 685,358 square feet of space to fill after completing a 34-story travertine and glass building at 700 West Broadway.
Keeping up with the latest technological advancements and industry trends keeps RBF Consulting at the forefront of the civil engineering industry, Senior Vice President Rick Rubin touts.
Drew George's sentences are punctuated with adjectives like "amazing" and "exciting" as he talks about today's green movement, and his tone could only be described as jubilant.
San Diego County is continually faced with a scarcity of developable land, spurring interest in "smart growth." In this report, The Daily Transcript examines plans that lay ahead for our region's smart growth development.
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With San Diego's population constantly on the rise, the theory of smart growth is referred to with increased frequency. In this special report, find up-to-date information on a variety of smart growth and smart living issues and trends.
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