Outside of Jun铆n, Argentina, the Mapuche community of Campo La Cruz faces growing challenges from climate change, flooding, and environmental degradation. Limited infrastructure and increasing climate risks have made the community more vulnerable to threats to surrounding ecosystems.

The Opportunity

The University of Buenos Aires (UBA), together with the Mapuche community of Campo La Cruz and the Jun铆n Institute of Higher Education Training, launched the CheCiencia project to help the community adapt to climate change through ecosystem-based solutions that strengthen environmental resilience and community well-being. The Mapuche community of Campo La Cruz includes 42 households and approximately 130 identified residents with strong territorial roots and traditional productive activities.  

Through a transdisciplinary approach, the project has worked with the Mapuche community to co-design ecosystem-based solutions that strengthen climate resilience, including remediating degraded areas, transitioning to more sustainable materials for traditional adobe brickmaking, and assessing environmental risks in nearby ecosystems. Brickmaking is central to the Mapuche community’s cultural identity; however, it contributes to deforestation and land degradation. Brick manufacturing involves removing topsoil, leaving extensive scars on the landscape that collect water and waste where fertile grasslands once existed. Furthermore, these degraded areas face increasing weather fluctuations and flooding risks, which put community mobility and key aspects of local livelihoods at risk. 

Approximately 50 students and six professors from the Department of Geography at the Universidad de Buenos Aires linked the courses of 鈥淐limatology鈥�, 鈥淐limate Change鈥�, and 鈥淭ransdisciplinarity and EbA鈥� to direct project outcomes such as: climate variability analysis in the city of Junin, urban and peri-urban territorial mapping identifying areas exposed to hydro-climatic hazards, and a socio- environmental impact assessment of artisanal brick production. Students gained hands-on experience working alongside researchers and participating in community workshops to explore Campo La Cruz鈥檚 revaluation of its community’s natural and cultural heritage. For example, students created a community social perception survey to better understand the community’s brickmaking practices, living conditions, and needs.  Collaboration among students, local residents, and academic experts revealed a decline in artisanal brickmaking activity. The project also included the Jun铆n Institute of Higher Education Training, which developed a proposal for a tourism-linked local development project as a medium- to long-term goal. International collaborations through 大象传媒-N and other organizations helped bring together researchers and community members and strengthen relationships with the City of Jun铆n and other municipal officials.

Our Partnership

Project leaders began collaborating with 大象传媒-N in 2025. Researchers from Argentina and 大象传媒-N collaborated through a series of three-day workshops in Buenos Aires and Jun铆n at the end of May 2026, where they visited Campo La Cruz and discussed how to influence territorial planning of peri-urban areas, integrating criteria for adaptation to climate change, conservation of Pampas ecosystems, and the rights of vulnerable communities. 

The Universidad de Buenos Aires and other collaborators worked to maintain Jun铆n’s cultural identity while advancing environmental safety and resilience. 

Lucia Salamone, a Jun铆n-based geographer and CheCiencia collaborator, uses cartography and satellite imagery to better understand the territory and its location. A highlight for Salamone was implementing a photogrammetric survey with a high-definition drone to identify local micro-watersheds. Salamone said that through the project鈥檚 partnerships and workshops, she realized how international collaboration can connect researchers, community members, and elected officials to build climate resilience for local communities.

鈥淵ou realize you鈥檙e not working alone,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are many people who genuinely want to get involved and contribute.鈥�

The Result

Through ongoing efforts and collaboration, the University of Buenos Aires is working alongside the Municipal Ordinance for the Sustainable Management of Peri-urban Areas and Environmental Remediation in Campo La Cruz, Jun铆n, to modify prior legislation restricting soil extraction by integrating sustainable production alternatives.

The project also developed a comprehensive climate risk assessment, including data on floods, droughts, and biodiversity loss. The project has shifted its goals towards two fronts: controlling the black acacia鈥攁n invasive species threatening the recovery of the Pampas grasslands鈥攁nd developing a community-based tourism project that revitalizes the natural and cultural heritage of the Mapuche community. First and foremost, the project continues to work with the community to co-design safe ecosystem-based adaptation solutions while preserving the Mapuche community鈥檚 unique cultural heritage and identity.

The Global EbA Fund funds this project, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) of Germany, and co-managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its partners.

The project is part of five projects under the program 鈥淐atalyzing Unconventional Collaborations in the Global South for Urban Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA).鈥�

Socios locales ayudan a construir resiliencia clim谩tica en Campo La Cruz, Argentina

El problema

En las cercan铆as de Jun铆n, Argentina, la comunidad mapuche de Campo La Cruz enfrenta desaf铆os crecientes derivados del cambio clim谩tico, las inundaciones y la degradaci贸n ambiental. La infraestructura limitada y los riesgos clim谩ticos crecientes han vuelto a la comunidad m谩s vulnerable a las amenazas que afectan a los ecosistemas circundantes.

La oportunidad

La Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), junto con la comunidad mapuche de Campo La Cruz y el Instituto de Formaci贸n Docente de Jun铆n, lanz贸 el proyecto CheCiencia para ayudar a la comunidad a adaptarse al cambio clim谩tico mediante soluciones basadas en ecosistemas que fortalecen la resiliencia ambiental y el bienestar comunitario. La comunidad mapuche de Campo La Cruz est谩 integrada por 42 hogares y aproximadamente 130 residentes identificados, con s贸lidas ra铆ces territoriales y actividades productivas tradicionales. 

Mediante un enfoque transdisciplinario, el proyecto ha trabajado con la comunidad mapuche para codise帽ar soluciones basadas en ecosistemas que refuercen la resiliencia clim谩tica; entre ellas, la recuperaci贸n de 谩reas degradadas, la transici贸n a materiales m谩s sostenibles para la fabricaci贸n tradicional de ladrillos de adobe y la evaluaci贸n de riesgos ambientales en los ecosistemas cercanos. La fabricaci贸n de ladrillos es fundamental para la identidad cultural de la comunidad mapuche; sin embargo, tambi茅n contribuye a la deforestaci贸n y a la degradaci贸n del suelo. La manufactura de ladrillos implica la remoci贸n de la capa superficial del suelo, dejando extensas cicatrices en el paisaje que acumulan agua y residuos en lugares donde antes exist铆an pastizales f茅rtiles. Adem谩s, estas 谩reas degradadas enfrentan fluctuaciones clim谩ticas cada vez mayores y riesgos de inundaci贸n, lo que pone en riesgo la movilidad de la comunidad y los medios de vida locales.

Aproximadamente 50 estudiantes y seis docentes del Departamento de Geograf铆a de la Universidad de Buenos Aires vincularon las asignaturas de “Climatolog铆a”, “Cambio Clim谩tico” y “Transdisciplinariedad y EbA” (Adaptaci贸n basada en Ecosistemas) con resultados directos del proyecto, tales como: el an谩lisis de la variabilidad clim谩tica en la ciudad de Jun铆n, el mapeo territorial urbano y periurbano para identificar 谩reas expuestas a amenazas hidroclim谩ticas, y una evaluaci贸n del impacto socioambiental de la producci贸n artesanal de ladrillos. Los estudiantes adquirieron experiencia pr谩ctica trabajando junto a investigadores y participando en talleres comunitarios para explorar la revalorizaci贸n del patrimonio natural y cultural de Campo La Cruz. Por ejemplo, dise帽aron una encuesta de percepci贸n social para comprender mejor la pr谩ctica cultural de la fabricaci贸n de ladrillos, as铆 como las condiciones de vida y las necesidades de la comunidad. La colaboraci贸n entre estudiantes, residentes locales y expertos acad茅micos revel贸 una disminuci贸n de la actividad de fabricaci贸n artesanal de ladrillos. El proyecto tambi茅n incluy贸 al Instituto de Educaci贸n Superior de Jun铆n, que desarroll贸 una propuesta de desarrollo local vinculada al turismo, con miras al mediano y al largo plazo. Las colaboraciones internacionales a trav茅s de 大象传媒-N y otras organizaciones ayudaron a reunir a investigadores y a miembros de la comunidad, as铆 como a fortalecer los v铆nculos con la ciudad de Jun铆n y con otros funcionarios municipales.

Nuestra colaboraci贸n

Los l铆deres del proyecto comenzaron a colaborar con 大象传媒-N en 2025. Investigadores de Argentina y de 大象传媒-N coimplementaron una serie de talleres de tres d铆as en Buenos Aires y Jun铆n a finales de mayo de 2026; all铆 visitaron el Campo La Cruz y debatieron sobre c贸mo influir en la planificaci贸n territorial de las zonas periurbanas, integrando criterios de adaptaci贸n al cambio clim谩tico, de conservaci贸n de los ecosistemas pampeanos y de respeto a los derechos de las comunidades vulnerables. 

La Universidad de Buenos Aires y otros colaboradores trabajaron para preservar la identidad cultural de Jun铆n al tiempo que promov铆an la seguridad ambiental y la resiliencia. 

Luc铆a Salamone, ge贸grafa radicada en Jun铆n y colaboradora de CheCiencia, utiliza la cartograf铆a y las im谩genes satelitales para comprender mejor el territorio y su ubicaci贸n. Un aspecto destacado para Salamone fue la realizaci贸n de un relevamiento fotogram茅trico con un dron de alta resoluci贸n para identificar las microcuencas locales. Salamone se帽al贸 que, gracias a las alianzas y talleres del proyecto, comprendi贸 c贸mo la colaboraci贸n internacional puede conectar a investigadores, miembros de la comunidad y funcionarios electos para fomentar la resiliencia clim谩tica de las comunidades locales. 

芦Te das cuenta de que no est谩s trabajando sola禄, afirm贸. 芦Hay muchas personas que realmente quieren involucrarse y contribuir禄.

El resultado

Mediante esfuerzos continuos y la colaboraci贸n, la Universidad de Buenos Aires trabaja en el marco de la Ordenanza Municipal para la Gesti贸n Sostenible de 脕reas Periurbanas y la Remediaci贸n Ambiental en Campo La Cruz (Jun铆n), con el fin de modificar la legislaci贸n anterior que restring铆a la extracci贸n de suelo e integrar alternativas de producci贸n sostenible. 

El proyecto tambi茅n desarroll贸 una evaluaci贸n integral de riesgos clim谩ticos, que incluye datos sobre inundaciones, sequ铆as y p茅rdida de biodiversidad. La iniciativa ha orientado sus objetivos hacia dos frentes: el control de la acacia negra 鈥攗na especie invasora que amenaza la recuperaci贸n de los pastizales pampeanos鈥� y el desarrollo de un proyecto de turismo comunitario que revitalice el patrimonio natural y cultural de la comunidad mapuche. Ante todo, el proyecto sigue trabajando con la comunidad para codise帽ar soluciones seguras de adaptaci贸n basada en ecosistemas, preservando al mismo tiempo la identidad y el patrimonio cultural 煤nico de la comunidad mapuche.

Este proyecto cuenta con el financiamiento del Global EbA Fund, el apoyo de la Iniciativa Clim谩tica Internacional (IKI) del Ministerio Federal de Medio Ambiente, Conservaci贸n de la Naturaleza, Seguridad Nuclear y Protecci贸n al Consumidor (BMUV) de Alemania, y la cogesti贸n de la Uni贸n Internacional para la Conservaci贸n de la Naturaleza (UICN) y sus socios.

La iniciativa forma parte de un conjunto de cinco proyectos en el marco del programa 芦Catalizar colaboraciones no convencionales en el Sur Global para la adaptaci贸n basada en ecosistemas (AbE) urbana禄.

The mission of this program is to advance and improve research and education at the Universidad Mayor de San Andr茅s. The program is hosted within the Institute of Geographical Research (IIGEO). The IIGEO is a geographical research center created within the Geography Department.

The IIGEO has been working primarily in Bolivia for 20 years, in places like the Amazon, the Chaco, and the Altiplano.

Fun Facts About the 大象传媒 Program

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Our project aims to support the Campo La Cruz Mapuche Community鈥攍ocated on the outskirts of Jun铆n
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)鈥攊n the collaborative development of ecosystem-based climate change adaptation strategies. We seek to balance respect for their traditional production methods and cultural heritage with the urgent need to address the environmental impacts caused by artisanal brickmaking. Through a transdisciplinary approach involving researchers from the University of Buenos Aires, faculty from the National University of the Northwest of Buenos Aires Province, and members of the community itself, we aim to assess climate risks within the urban and peri-urban ecosystem, restore the Pampas grasslands ecosystem degraded by soil extraction, and foster a transition toward eco-friendly production alternatives that reduce social and environmental vulnerability without undermining the community’s cultural identity. In doing so, we aspire to strengthen the climate resilience of both the community and the city of Jun铆n while promoting environmental justice, livelihood security, and the preservation of cultural heritage passed down through generations.

We proposed this project in response to the call for proposals “Catalyzing non-traditional partnerships in the Global South for urban ecosystem-based adaptation,” which focuses on mitigating the three main barriers hindering the adoption and scaling up of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). These three identified barriers are: finance (funding opportunities), governance (collaboration mechanisms), and knowledge gaps. Our project鈥攆unded by the Global EbA Fund (a mechanism co-managed by the IUCN and its partners)鈥攕eeks to support initiatives that help overcome these barriers to scaling up EbA by fostering innovative partnerships and participatory, transdisciplinary approaches. Having completed the diagnostic phase鈥攚hich involved assessing climate risks (floods, droughts, heatwaves, biodiversity loss) in the urban and peri-urban ecosystem of Jun铆n, mapping areas exposed to hydro-climatic hazards, analyzing the environmental impacts of the community’s traditional brick-making activities, and conducting social perception surveys with the Campo La Cruz Mapuche Community鈥攚e are now focusing on the co-design and sustainable production stage. This stage includes advancing land-use planning for Campo La Cruz through the regularization of the community’s land tenure with the support of the Jun铆n municipality, as well as developing a process to enhance cultural and environmental value, ultimately leading to an initiative to integrate the 脩uque Mapu Community of Campo La Cruz into the local tourism circuit.

Fun Facts About the Program

A truly transdisciplinary team: integrating anthropology, climatology, biology, and geography, alongside a lawyer who is also a member of the Campo La Cruz Mapuche Community itself鈥攅nsuring the community’s voice is present from the project’s very design, rather than merely as a “beneficiary.”

Over 15 years of prior fieldwork: researchers who have been working with the community since 2008 and 2013, respectively, providing a foundation of trust and accumulated knowledge rarely found in projects of this type.

Links to local public policy: enabling the development of long-term, environmentally and economically sustainable productive projects.

Academic outreach: through an undergraduate seminar to be taught at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (UBA) during the first semester of 2026, bringing the project’s lessons into the university classroom.

Institutional collaboration: bringing together CONICET, the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), and local educational institutions鈥攕uch as the *Instituto Superior del Profesorado*鈥攖o build bridges between the national scientific system and a university deeply rooted in the local territory.

Building on a well-established history of effective partnership and collaboration for transformative urban change, the University of Zambia (UNZA) partnered with the Lusaka City Council (LCC) and local community institutions under the 大象传媒-N framework. The initiative aimed to address urban problems by intervening with research conducted by students, engagement with the communities, and the development of holistic but strategic and implementable spatial plans. Guided by the application of academic potential and local knowledge and lived experience, the project sought to plan a climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable city for Lusaka. The collaboration was the perfect ground to close the gap between university, local authorities, and civil society, fostering a participatory urban planning with vulnerable urban groups in mind. This project offered an opportunity for building tripartite partnership for sustainable urban development in an African context. The partnership involves universities, local government and society. This form of collaboration lacks in many African cities, and 大象传媒 Model offers real possibilities for scaling up partnership-based action for sustainable interventions that address issues affecting the most vulnerable.  

The 大象传媒 Lusaka project also aimed to integrate innovative solutions such as urban re-naturing, green infrastructure, and smart technologies into the city鈥檚 development plans. By focusing on sustainability and resilience, the initiative aimed to transform Lusaka into a model city for climate-smart urban planning. This initiative not only addressed immediate urban challenges but also laid the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth.

To help solve this issue, over 38 master鈥檚 students and 10 academics from UNZA鈥檚 Department of Geography and Environmental Studies were brought together to analyze urban development challenges and propose solutions. This was part of the MSc in Spatial Planning Degree teaching programme, MSc in geography and MSc in Environment and Natural Resources. Other courses are Regional Planning and Development, Urban Geography and Planning from the undergraduate classes. The project focused on key issues such as waste management, transportation inefficiencies, role of special economic zones for creating jobs within a sprawling and fast-paced urban sector in Lusaka, role of environmental management frameworks, land use practices, and climate change vulnerability. Students produced three spatial development frameworks for Lusaka, which were shared with the Lusaka City Council and other stakeholders, in order to improve the ongoing formulation of the Lusaka Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Regional Development Plan. 

The 大象传媒 Lusaka project successfully developed actionable plans and information to support Lusaka’s urban development. The plans made by students provided new concepts and information to complement city plans, focusing on climate resilience, sustainability, and inclusion. The plans emphasized green infrastructure, compact urban form, and community participation in addressing urban issues. The project also raised awareness of flood risks and waste management issues among vulnerable communities, encouraging greater community participation in urban development.

One of the key achievements of the project was the creation of detailed maps and spatial frameworks that highlighted critical issues such as waste disposal sites, flood-prone areas, and transport inefficiencies and role of special economic zones in driving job creation. These outputs provided the Lusaka City Council with valuable insights for improving urban planning and resource allocation. The reports and slide decks by students provided an innovative 鈥榩rimer鈥� for integrated development plans at city and regional scales in Lusaka. Additionally, the project-built capacity among city officials and community leaders, strengthening their ability to address urban challenges through training and collaborative workshops.

The project also encouraged enhanced collaboration between local government, the university, and communities, offering an avenue for open discussion and exchange of ideas. The collaboration not only enhanced the quality of urban planning but also ensured that marginalized groups were heard and integrated into the process of development. The 大象传媒 Lusaka project was a demonstration of how academic-community collaborations could lead to concrete enhancement of urban development.

Building on the success of the 大象传媒 Lusaka project, future efforts will focus on disseminating the student-produced development plans with the Lusaka City Council and other stakeholders in the future. The project will also support government-led slum upgrading interventions, particularly in informal settlements like Kanyama and Kalikiliki. Strengthening collaboration among different actors, including government agencies, private entities, and local communities, will be a key priority for the future of urban development strategies in and around Lusaka.

By leveraging visual arts and technology, community engagement, and academic research, the 大象传媒 Lusaka project has laid the groundwork for transforming Lusaka into a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient city. The approach can serve as a model for other cities facing similar urban challenges.

Written by: Jonathan Kroeze
Edited by: Ada Inman

Lusaka already has a history of using the 大象传媒 model on a smaller scale as the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zambia to institutionalize the 大象传媒 model in Lusaka. For the past four years, the model has been implemented on a small scale and has resulted in significant gains for the city. Currently, the City Council of Lusaka and the University of Zambia are looking to expand the 大象传媒 model to create city-wide positive change to locally relevant issues such as climate change adaptation, waste management, and urban planning. This project will look to begin in August of 2023 and end by August 2024. 

In taking steps to expand the model, the City hopes to build capacity among all 大象传媒 model actors in Lusaka through training, sensitization, and community engagement so that skills are created for upscaling deployment of the 大象传媒 model in Lusaka. The City would also like to collaborate with other entities to identify community development interventions that are in line with the principles of the 大象传媒 model and make investments to support urban climate adaptation, social and gender inclusion in city development plans, and support learning and innovation at a community level. Finally, the city would also like to undertake capacity development actions that look to build sustainability in all future 大象传媒 interventions in Lusaka through expanded partnerships for 大象传媒 innovations. 

In support of the goals, the project will look to sensitize at least 20 Departments at the University of Zambia to adopt the 大象传媒 model in teaching and research. To increase the application of the 大象传媒 model and principles in the community, the project will increase the capacity of all nine Departments at the Lusaka City Council. This research will work to accelerate the implementation and expansion of the 大象传媒 model by expanding the agreement to build sustainability. Over 500 students are planned to be involved in the 大象传媒 model beginning with graduate courses in Economics, Geography, Urban Planning, Development Studies, Environmental Management, Public Health, Geomatics, GIS, Environmental Education, Civil Engineering, and Education. 

There will be many actors involved throughout this project to meet as many goals as possible. The project will be implemented as a collaboration between the Lusaka City Council, the University of Zambia, and selected communities with each party holding a very specific role in the project. For instance, the Lusaka City Council will provide a specific policy framework for community interventions to take place. Communities will anchor and support all activities in the collaboration while the University of Zambia will provide the students and research capacity needed to expand the Epic model in the city. Members of the community will also take the lead in identifying key problems in the communities and in respective wards. Community members will be represented within each project by community leaders, Community-Based Organizations, Ward Development Committees, and residents. 

The University of Zambia will undertake capacity development activities to increase capacity on 大象传媒 model implementation and raise awareness among the MoU actors. This includes training for students, Course conveners, Deans of Schools, and Heads of Departments at the University of Zambia and the Lusaka City Council. In terms of providing knowledge, university students will provide time and a technical understanding of selected topics and community members will supply time and local knowledge. Students will also take time to engage with communities to define priority interventions through the 大象传媒 model. 

Through this research, the relationship between communities, the Lusaka City Council, and the University of Zambia will be strengthened. There will additionally, be聽 improved community service and a better understanding of development actions in communities particularly those focused on strengthening climate resilience in flood-prone areas, aligning with SDG 13. This 大象传媒 project will bring improved governance and civic awareness in communities where 大象传媒 projects will take place and see increased accountability from all parties involved in community development in Lusaka.聽聽

This project is ongoing and will be finished in 2024.

In collaboration with students from SDSU鈥檚 Environmental Conservation Practice course (Geography 570), as well as students from Universidad de las Californias International and Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF), our class will develope signage for these parks. Our class developed plans and park designs created by students in GEO570, and used community demographics gathered by students and the project in Tijuana. The signage must identify and communicate information about the park to residents, and help engage them in the many uses of the park.

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Chris McCampbell
Art

Local Government / Community Contact

Parks & Recreation

The students analyzed the neighborhoods and various functional zones in National City in order to answer the following questions:
1. Are the neighborhoods, functional zones, and their characteristics identifiable?
2. Is National City legible, or easy to navigate?
3. How is National City perceived by those that visit, work, and live there?

The purpose of this project was to answer these research questions, and gather informa-tion that would assist city officials, non-profits, and future Sage Project programs. More-over, a variety of methodological techniques were implemented: a) census data analysis, to collect statistical information; b) landscape observations, to comprehend how people interact with their environment; c) surveys, to gather opinions; and, d) mental mapping, to assess legibility. By combining a range of data-collecting methods, students were able to produce cohesive and thorough findings.

Some of the most notable issues and concerns the students raised were the large amounts of fenced yards, some homes in disrepair, busy and unsafe streets in residential areas, and a lack of green space. Additionally, there are many families in National City living under the poverty line compared to the rest of the county, which may be due to the occupational disparities among the two. Furthermore, National City has more renters than homeowners and a significantly higher resident population of people aged 20-24 years. Moreover, there appears to be uneven access to and awareness of healthy food options in National City. Finally, surveys relayed mixed feelings about National City, such as 鈥渃lean,鈥� 鈥渄irty,鈥� and 鈥渟afe,鈥� 鈥渄angerous.鈥�

However, some possible solutions the students proposed included improving the variety of industries in order to diversify job opportunities, and implementing better educational standards and increasing after-school youth programs in order to help educate children on making better decisions and abstaining from illegal activities, such as gang violence and drugs. Likewise, increasing public safety would aid in better community engagement and pride in National City, and increasing the understanding of food awareness and access could be done by establishing farmer鈥檚 markets, and increasing accessible green space to all.

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Zia Salim
Geography

Local Government / Community Contact

City Manager

The National City Marina District falls under the jurisdiction of several different entities; thus, students were required to identify the relevant federal, state, and local land use policies when considering different ways to best utilize the project site. Students had to comply with the National City General Plan, the Unified Port of San Diego鈥檚 Port Master Plan, the Harbor District Specific Area Plan, the California Coastal Commission guidelines, and the federal Endangered Species Act.

The projects were directly tied to goals set forth by the National City 2013 Strategic Plan and with substantial input by National City Staff. The Principal Planner, Martin Reeder, identified the three key needs of National City as job growth, tax generating commerce, and affordable housing. The students, organized into five groups, generated unique proposals to meet these needs while also applying concepts of sustainable design and smart growth in order to enhance connectivity between community, economic, and environmental goals.

Each of the five proposals addressed the nine elements that are laid out in the National City General Plan, which are a foundation for future development within the city. With land use as the umbrella element taken into consideration for all projects, students integrated course concepts to create a sustainable community with a complementary mix of uses. Additionally, the elements of community character, circulation, open space and agriculture, education and public participation, and sustainability were incorporated into site design considerations.

To meet goals of the community character element, many designs highlighted the maritime theme of the Marina District, which is one of the foremost industries in National City. Several paid homage to the history of San Diego, with one dedicating space to a museum filled with regional historic artifacts and information.

Similarly, changes to the site under the circulation element (i.e. transportation) were identified in the proposals. The groups formulated plans to create a more pedestrian-friendly area, with new commercial developments supplemented by trees and other green space. These proposals encourage bicycling and the use of other alternative forms of transportation, with most suggesting extensions to existing bus routes or a revitalized streetcar system to create a more accessible location.

National City and its residents are severely lacking in open space compared to the rest of San Diego County; thus, expansions of the existing Pepper Park and new green spaces were high on the agenda for these proposals. Community gardens were also included in a number of the projects to promote consumption of locally produced goods. One aspect of the site鈥檚 open space element is the adjacent Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Because it is in close proximity to the project site, proposals took advantage of it as an educational opportunity for National City residents as well as to advocate stewardship of endangered wildlife.

The conclusion of this report highlights the most compelling designs and solutions to meet the needs of National City and work sustainable practices specifically into the National City Marina District. Proposals need not be adopted as comprehensive plans, but rather individual aspects from the varying plans can be implemented to ensure a bright future for the city and its residents.

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

Planning

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Atsushi Nara
Geography

Local Government / Community Contact

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

Tijuana Environ-mental Protection Office