The land use plans outlined in this document were produced through the partnership between the City of Lemon Grove and the Sage Project at San Diego State University during the fall semester of 2016. In Diana Richardson’s Geography 572 course, titled “Land Use Analysis,” upper-division undergraduate and graduate students were pre-sented with the opportunity to formulate conceptual land use plans that they believed would constitute a sustainable, productive, and sensitive use for the Downtown Village area of Lemon Grove. These proposals were to display consistency and be complementa-ry to the surrounding areas of the project site while meeting the city’s Tactical Urbanism and Placemaking goals. Lemon Grove was incorporated as a city in 1977 and, therefore, is governed from within. When determining land use policies to best utilize the project sites, we referenced theLemon Grove General Plan, the Lemon Grove Municipal Code, and the Downtown Vil-lage Specific Plan. The projects were directly tied to goals set forth by the Downtown Village Specific Plan and with substantial input by Lemon Grove staff. The Development Services Director, David De Vries, identified the key needs of Lemon Grove as creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment, creating sustainable development for business-es, and increasing mobility throughout the Lemon Grove Downtown Village. Organized into seven groups, we generated unique proposals to meet the city’s needs while also applying concepts of sustainable design and smart growth to promote synergy between community, economic, and environmental goals.Each of the seven groups addressed the seven elements that are laid out in Lemon Grove’s General Plan, along with the currently emerging eighth element. Because these elements establish the foundation for future planning in Lemon Grove, all proposals concentrated site design considerations on the core element of land use. Along with the fundamental land use component and course concepts, emerging ideas anticipated the creation of a sustainable community that displays a mixture of land uses. Additionally, the elements of circulation, conservation, open space, and health and wellness were considered for site proposals. To aid in the improvement of circulation throughout Lemon Grove, proposals identified more efficient transportation options, such as increased bicycle and foot traffic. The groups also conveyed ideas to create a more pedestrian-friendly area, with new develop-ments supplemented by more vegetation and green spaces. These proposals encouraged more bicycle traffic by suggesting the addition of bicycle lanes, bicycle infrastructure, and stations that rent bicycles. The Downtown Village area of Lemon Grove is lacking in both open space and green space. Thus, the addition of more natural features was high on the agenda for these pro-posals. Incorporating more green aspects, such as a suggested succulent area, intends to increase the desirability of the city while also promoting the health and wellness Land Use Analysis
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103
University Faculty Contact
Diana Richardson
Geography
Local Government / Community Contact
Development Servies