4 Lessons from San Diego’s built environment

Known for its favorable climate and laid-back coastal culture, San Diego is a rapidly changing urban region. As AIA members and allied professionals arrive for AIA26, they’ll encounter a city that offers lessons for architects seeking to influence the evolution of their own communities.

AIA San Diego 2026 President Ben Dalton, AIA, and 2026 Vice President Maxine Ward, AIA, describe a city that is growing denser, redefining its civic identity, and navigating the complexities of a binational region. Their perspectives illuminate where San Diego stands today and four lessons the city offers visiting architects and design professionals.

The San Diego of today

Since it last hosted the AIA national conference in 2003, San Diego surpassed 1.3 million residents and became the eighth largest city in the country. The growth has spurred development in the city’s urban core, where new housing, sports facilities, and life science infrastructure have transformed underused districts. The result is a city negotiating a shift from a modest coastal hub to a complex, urbanized region.

Dalton arrived in San Diego about 15 years ago by way of the Pacific Northwest to help establish a local office for Miller Hull. He immediately recognized a familiar pattern: “San Diego had a similar feel to me in 2011 as Seattle did in 2001. … It was at a pivotal moment where it was starting to redefine itself.” 

Ward, who settled in San Diego in 2005 after moving from the United Kingdom, said the upward trajectory is reflected in sentiments shared among local design professionals: “A lot of us often excitedly say that San Diego is finally growing up as a city.” She noted that the city is embracing density and growth while trying to maintain an identity that is distinct from other major West Coast cities.

Lesson 1: Regional identities can supersede national borders

Part of San Diego’s unique identity comes from its proximity to Tijuana, Mexico, a defining force in the region’s culture and built environment. The two cities share an ecological system, economic ties, and a long history of cross-border collaboration, which has shaped regional planning ideas and approaches. 

Ward said that local architects, planners, and designers often reference the influential 1974 report Temporary Paradise? by Kevin Lynch and Donald Appleyard, which argued that the border should be chiefly considered not as a dividing line but as an asset that could positively influence development and cultural exchange. “That level of regional thinking across an international border is something that’s really unique [about San Diego],” Ward said.

Dalton added that the region’s cultural and architectural experimentation, particularly in housing developments, reflects cross-border dynamism. Tijuana’s design culture, he said, is “pretty experimental,” and that spirit influences San Diego’s own approach to testing new ideas.

To visitors, San Diego offers a demonstration of how regional identity can transcend political boundaries and how design can reflect the lived realities of multicultural communities.

Lesson 2: It’s possible to embed climate-responsive design in both code and culture

The San Diego region’s famously mild climate and unique topography are fundamental drivers of its design identity. The moderate microclimate and mesas, canyons, and coastline influence everything from individual building orientation and performance strategies to public realm design. “Because of the climate, we are able to really embrace an indoor-outdoor lifestyle,” Dalton said.

Local policy has accelerated a shift toward low-carbon, all-electric, and net-zero development. Along with efforts of architects, the built environment is a key player in climate action progress. “In California, we now are code-required to focus on embodied carbon as well as operational carbon,” Dalton said, noting that San Diego County has been a leader on operational carbon reduction by requiring its projects to be net-zero energy.

Ward, a principal at a local leader in multifamily design, Studio E Architects, added that even cost-constrained sectors are leading change quickly. “In addressing the affordable housing crisis, multifamily developers and design teams are having to rethink conventional approaches. We’re designing a growing number of all-electric buildings, along with modular and mass timber construction, which is great to see,” she said.

As architects descend upon San Diego from places with unique climates and differing approaches to sustainability, the city offers a model for climate-responsive design embedded in both its professional culture and local regulations.

Lesson 3: Public realms require intentional placemaking

Despite major investment in downtown areas during the last decade, San Diego’s primary civic core has struggled to keep pace. Several blocks around City Hall have been largely in limbo as redevelopment plans have not materialized, leaving a public realm gap in the heart of the city. Dalton and Ward said that there have been multiple attempts to redevelop the area, but a combination of economic and political factors have stalled progress. They see AIA26 as a chance to help catalyze progress in the area adjacent to City Hall.

In collaboration with the Architects Foundation, AIA San Diego will lead a workshop titled “Urban Studio: Leveraging the Power of Design for San Diego’s Civic Center Redevelopment” during the conference. National and local experts will tour the site and participate in a design charrette, exploring ideas and sharing lessons learned from other locations. 

Those will help inform an upcoming city-backed reimagination initiative led by the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the Prebys Foundation. “We’re not here to push an agenda so much as bring resources to the table to help support success for our city,” Dalton said. 

As downtown’s residential population grows and more housing and mixed-use developments are built, the pressure on the public realm has intensified. Ward emphasized that the city’s evolving density makes high-quality public space not just desirable but essential: “Open space for recreation purposes, wellness, and quality of life is a baseline.”

The process and thoughtfulness behind San Diego’s housing and public infrastructure development offer valuable insight for architects from cities undergoing similar transitions.

Lesson 4: Cities can build a collaborative, motivated architectural community

San Diego’s architectural community is interconnected, shaped by a steady influx of transplants. Many architects arrive for work opportunities but stay because San Diego’s professional network offers clear pathways to volunteerism and leadership. Local firms, nonprofits, and design organizations frequently overlap in their missions, creating a culture where architects can actively participate in shaping the city.

“A lot of architects here see beyond the work. They want to improve their community, and they want to tell the story of what architects do,” Ward said.

This collaborative spirit is also influencing AIA San Diego’s evolving relationship with the city. Chapter leaders and members have been nurturing connections with policymakers, planners, and civic organizations to strengthen how design decisions are made. Their efforts dovetail with AIA’s broader citizen architect advocacy efforts, positioning architects as early contributors to civic conversations rather than reactive voices.

“Our goal is to be a resource to the city,” Dalton said. “We can be a lot more effective if we can be part of the conversation early on.”

For visiting architects, San Diego will demonstrate how a tightknit professional community can influence civic life, build trust with public partners, and generate enthusiasm for the role designers play in shaping the built environment.

Welcoming the profession for AIA26

To dive deeper into San Diego’s design stories, Dalton and Ward invite AIA26 attendees to visit the AIA San Diego booth on the expo floor, sign up for local tours, and attend education sessions that highlight the region’s unique architecture.

“We are a city that has so much to offer attending architects, and at the same time, much to learn from them about how we can improve as San Diego continues to grow and evolve,” Dalton said.

Kathleen M. O'Donnell is a freelance writer, editor, and communications strategist based in Washington, D.C. She is committed to telling stories that provide useful insights to architects and designers and highlight the impact of their work.