UC San Diego Pepper Canyon Neighborhood Study

The firm provided planning and urban design services for the Pepper Canyon Neighborhood Planning Study at UC San Diego including new student housing and mixed-use development. A new light rail extension from downtown bisects this unique 63-acre site, creating a new entry and identity for the campus, as well as the potential for a more urban and transit-oriented district. The Study balanced existing facilities with more than 20 active projects in the precinct in coordination with other design professionals. A primary focus was to provide 3,400 student beds in two villages within the site (Pepper Canyon East and West), including retail development, childcare, and additional amenities to create an active, transit-oriented, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Both Pepper Canyon West and Pepper Canyon East will embrace the essential qualities of the landscape of Pepper Canyon through thoughtful siting and clustering of buildings, embracing the canyon, and creating shared open spaces and gathering places. This new student life neighborhood capitalizes on the new vitality brought by adjacent improvements including light rail, the Gilman Street Bridge, and Triton Pavilion. Within this context, a new, higher-density livable neighborhood will activate a critical campus edge for UC San Diego.