NewSchool’s City Planning graduate class, under the direction of Adjunct Professor Brian F Mooney FAICP, has been working with the City of San Diego to prepare conceptual plans for the revitalization of Kearny Mesa. The students,including Noura Bishay, Marcella Italiano, Will Kockler, Madhavi Natarajan, Sovanarry Phy, Veena Ravi, Chandana Savadatti and Waseem Toonsia, have been working on key areas of the community plan associated with the creation of an Asian Entertainment and Dinning District on Convoy Street and revitalization of the regions commercial, office and light industrial areas.

The workshop included tackling issues such as planning and design constraints to greater community and the students’ work as urban planning interventions. Their presentations at the community workshop included:

• The students’ concepts and their graphic presentations were lauded by both community representative and City staff. The students will continue to work with the city and their urban interventions will be highlighted on the city’s website.
• Rethinking South Convoy Street, particularly the Target and Costco site into an Urban Village
• Adding significant residential areas in association with intervening park space, and a distinct architectural statement and traffic calming opportunity
• Linking North and South Claremont Mesa Boulevard at Convoy Street
• Rethinking urban forms on Aero Drive
• Adding affordable housing and creating a complete street and housing opportunities in mixed use concepts along Claremont Mesa Boulevard East of Highway 163.