Orchid 
The SDSU Mission Valley development is transforming one of the largest parking lots in the western U.S. into a vibrant, walkable mixed-use community with housing, entertainment, and 80 acres of public open space. At its heart is the River Park at SDSU Mission Valley—an ecologically driven public space directly connected to the MTS trolley. Designed as a “green sponge,” the park captures, filters, and slows all site runoff before it reaches the nearby San Diego River, significantly improving water quality and reducing historic flood impacts.
Floodable zones, native landscaping—including hundreds of Oaks and Sycamores—and river-inspired design elements foster both ecological function and aesthetic identity. Plazas, paving patterns and planted islands subtly reference river eddies, while interpretive elements, created in collaboration with the Kumeyaay Nation, deepen the site’s environmental and cultural connection. The park offers sports fields, playgrounds, fitness stations, courts, and solar pathway lighting, along with over four miles of accessible trails and bikeways, serving as a model for resilient, inclusive urban design.