Social Impact Design Initiatives in Little Italy and Along the Waterfront

This walking tour to Little Italy will include short talks at multiple stops to introduce tour participants housing and development experts and introduce the complexities of California housing policy and how changing laws impact architects, planners and residents. The tour will include Seaport Village, Tuna Pier, Midway, Broadway Cruise Ship Terminal/NEVP, and The LIND block – a multi-developer, small-scale development including co-housing, fee-simple townhouses, and tax credit affordable housing – and will end at the Mercato in Little Italy. A possible side tour will feature an additional multi architect developer block a few blocks from the plaza.

Tour stops will include:

• Seaport Village

• Tuna Pier

• Midway District

• Broadway Cruise Ship Terminal/NEVP

• A co-living and community development designed by Rob Quigley and developed by Ted Smith, Kathleen McCormick, and Jonathan Siegel

• Merrimac Building, by Ted Smith & Others with Lloyd Russell

• Mercato Farmer's Market

Learning Objectives

1. Explore the state of housing in San Diego and how the area's economic conditions affect housing design and development strategies.
2. Identify three characteristics in ADU policies that are key in alleviating the immediate housing crisis.
3. Compare community planning methodologies (e.g., resident input, public hearings, and discussions) with other urban redevelopment efforts, using the successes of Little Italy co-living and community development to illustrate the importance of community.
4. Analyze the lessons learned from Little Italy along with the key factors behind retaining affordable housing while maintaining economic viability.

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