Orchid 
The SDSU Mission Valley development is transforming the largest parking lot west of the Mississippi into a mixed-use, walkable community with housing, entertainment, and 80-acres of open space. A central feature of the development is the River Park at SDSU Mission Valley. Accessible by MTS trolley, the River Park provides a much-needed new public park open space to the region. The park acts like a “Green Sponge,” dramatically improving water quality as well as mitigating historic floodwater impacts to the site. Many portions of the park are designed to flood, and all stormwater runoff from the development is captured and naturally treated before reaching the San Diego River nearby.
Creating a “connection” to the San Diego River was an important goal for the park. Native plantings were specified including several hundred Oaks and Sycamores. Patterns in paving and islands of planting were included in the design to abstractly emulate eddies in the river. The park includes a variety of experiences, amenities and features. Examples include: sports fields, fitness stations, solar lighting, courts, games, playgrounds, interpretive education created in collaboration with the Kumeyaay Nation, and over 4-miles of accessible walkways, bike paths, and trails, to name just a few.