Make gathering places more comfortable and welcoming spaces that connect visitors and experience providers.
Opportunities abound to elevate the hospitality of the Cultural District in areas where people naturally congregate. Transform gathering places into inviting and comfortable hubs that foster connections between visitors and experience providers. Enhancing the fundamental amenities of these gathering spaces encourages prolonged visits. Incorporating ecologically-responsive landscaping and expanding tree canopy coverage not only adds comfort but also strengthens the link between culture and ecology. Augmented event infrastructure and a heightened emphasis on events and vendors aligning with the Cultural District’s ethos contribute to an immersive and welcoming cultural space for all.
Strategies to elevate gathering spaces:
- Improve site design, event infrastructure, and amenities at locations like the WorldBeat Cultural Center and Centro Cultural de la Raza with the implementation of the Cultural Plaza – an amphitheater space that was originally designed into the Balboa Park Central Mesa Precise Plan.
- Foster safer walking conditions and enhance connectivity between key locations.
- Improve nighttime walking conditions with enhanced pedestrian-scale lighting.
- Boost the visibility of existing gathering places.
- Bolster existing community programs within these spaces.
- Incorporate versatile performance and event infrastructure, including a flexible amphitheater and outdoor stage, enhancing circulation and accessibility.
- Emphasize events that align with the community’s values and mission.
- Implement a sustainable landscape strategy to harmonize culture and ecology.
- Create designated areas for cultural vendors and makers to contribute to the vibrant atmosphere.
- An elevated plaza experience that brings the Fleet Science Center’s exhibits and hands-on activities outdoors to visitors so they can experience the museum offerings before they step foot inside.
Key recommendations to amplify great gathering places
Improve existing places with site design, event infrastructure, and amenities
Support a sustainable landscape strategy to connect culture
and ecology
Prioritize community-centered and mission-aligned events
Make space for cultural vendors and makers
What is a gathering place in the Cultural District?
Gathering places refer to popular as well as underutilized common areas that are already used by visitors to congregate and organize their visit. Amplifying gathering places means ensuring they play three important roles in the visitor experience:
- Support access to peoples’ basic needs and make it easy for people to rest, discover, and orient their visit.
- Connect people to experience providers to enhance their unique Cultural District experience.
- Encourage people to mill about and enhance part of the Cultural District’s attractiveness as a destination.
Examples of gathering places
Recommendation Highlight
2.1 Improve existing places with site design, event infrastructure, and amenities
Strengthen gathering areas so they better accommodate and adapt to different size and scales of gathering, programs, and events through strategic site design improvements, increased event infrastructure, and better distribution of site amenities.
Site design improvements such as widened sidewalks and better delineations between pedestrian and vehicular traffic can better support movement and arrival at gathering places.
Site amenities are the basic necessities that people need to stay comfortable over the course of their visit. Access to clean, high-quality restrooms are among the most visible measures of safety and comfort. Improving the conditions and quality of the existing, free-standing public restroom structures is a priority and critical to the success of improving the overall hospitality of the Cultural District. It is vital that the persistent deferred maintenance of these amenities is addressed to improve the visitor experience.
The even distribution of high-quality, comfortable seating, and food and beverage access across the Cultural District, is essential for people to enjoy their entire experience. Pedestrian-scale lighting improvements increase nighttime visibility and comfort for people walking around and enhance the overall nighttime experience.
