Fifty years ago, Donald Appleyard and Kevin Lynch’s monumental city planning document “Temporary Paradise?” informed years of discussion for how the San Diego-Tijuana region could look.
To mark the document’s 50th anniversary, the San Diego State University Art Gallery presents Vision 2074. Curator and SDSU lecturer Jim Brown curated the exhibition to envision how the region could look 50 years from today.
We’re “spreading the word about the idea of us looking at our area as one region,” Brown said. “Our region is one shared place where professionals can work together in the future.”
The exhibit is part of World Design Capital 2024, sparking extensive discussions, exhibitions, and lectures on a future vision for the region. For Vision 2074, Brown and SDSU galleries and exhibitions coordinator Chantel Paul used “Temporary Paradise?” as a pillar of the project.
“Temporary Paradise?” had a big impact on local planners, landscape architects, and urban theorists,” Brown noted. “It was one of the first documents that looked at the region without a border. It was kind of unusual at the time.”
With this in mind, Brown invited designers and architects to theoretically redesign areas around the region. About 20 of the proposals are showcased in the exhibition and reveal projects that could make the region more connected in 50 years.
“There’s so much that happens between us, like exchange of culture, ideas, food (and) commerce,” Paul said. “There’s a lot of social and cultural ties as well between the two cities. So even though we technically are in two different countries, we’re really joined.”
Paul shared that this exhibition was far different than anything she has worked on at the University Art Gallery.
“A lot of times I’m working with paintings, sculptures, or other things that are loaned from an artist,” she said. “These are more presentations of ideas, so it’s a lot more conceptual in that way.”
While Vision 2074 is one of the last events of the 2024 World Design Capital, Brown believes that the event has allowed for connections between SDSU and other universities that will benefit the next decade of students.
“It’s an honor to be a part of the world design capital experience,” Brown said. “Not just that, but the awakening of San Diego State to this idea of practicing regionalism. It’s going to be an amazing 10 years to watch San Diego State grow.”
Vision 2074 runs at the SDSU University Art Gallery through Thurs. Dec. 5, 2024. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Coming up at the University Art Gallery
The University Art Gallery’s next exhibition, coming in spring 2025, will expand on San Francisco State University’s Reflecting on Ruth Asawa and the Garden of Remembrance.
“It commemorates the 19 students who were forcibly removed from SFSU’s campus during Executive Order 9066 during World War II,” Paul said. “That essentially moved Japanese American citizens, as well as those who are not citizens, into incarceration camps.”
The exhibition will showcase six contemporary artists including SDSU Professor Emeritus Wendy Maruyama, and incorporate textile exhibits and video productions.
“We’re bringing artists to campus and to San Diego who would otherwise not be shown in the region,” Paul said. “So, it’s definitely a unique opportunity.”
