ima Staff visited Santa Monica as a part of the ima Design Series enrichment program to discuss Sustainability as Place. Sustainability not only pertains to environment, but also the cultural, social and economic aspects of a site. Sustainable places can be artistic and cherished with multiple-purposes for planning, leading to some of the best designs.
Santa Monica was chosen since it showcases many sustainable and green practices successfully implemented by a number of national design professionals. The group experienced and discussed the Santa Monica Civic Center, Tongva Park, Third Street Promenade, The Farmers Market, and South Beach Park.
According to David Kerber of ima, “Tongva Park was fascinating because it addressed multiple physical and experiential scales. It combined smaller and larger spaces with a variety of paving, providing a visually pleasing and necessary contrast in relation to the scales of space. It was interesting to see how the park fit within the context of the City and the adjacent expanse of ocean. Overall, the park is a beautiful example of how scale is variable and experiential down to the smallest of details.”