Executive Summary

The East Campus Health Sciences Neighborhood is unique in two aspects for the University of California, San Diego La Jolla Campus.  First, the neighborhood is separated physically by I-5 from the main campus where the existing core of the health sciences educational and research facilities are located.  Secondly, the neighborhood is intended to grow as a major clinical component of the health sciences program.  These extensive clinical services require efficient public access, most of which is vehicular.

This Neighborhood Planning Study is intended to etablish a framework for development and growth that creates a pedestrian-focused health sciences community, with strong links to the west campus.  At the same time, easy access by those working and receiving treatment in the clinical area is critical.

Overview
This document is divided into five major sections beginning with Chapter 3, an introduction to the study that also defines the objectives, history and process in developing this report.  Chapter 4, summarizes the existing physical conditions, both natural and manmade, which influence the site.  In Chapter 5 the land uses and programmatic requirements of the plan are summarized, a high and low-density scenario for development is established, and development phasing is outlined.  Chapter 6 establishes and defines the major principles behind the plan concept followed by Chapter 7 that sets forth the specific standards and design guidelines for the buildings and site based on these principles.

Concept
The concept for the development of the East Campus is based on the strong physical characteristics that define the site.  The site is bordered by canyons that, in conjunction with I-5, create a peninsula that appears as a mesa when viewed from the West Campus.  The framework for development takes its cues from the existing canyon landscape.  The buildings and landsape elements are intended to preserve and strengthen the definition of the "mesa" edges.

The consolidation of the neighborhood into an interconnected pedestrian network is also central to this plan.  The resulting public spaces are intended to link the various facilities using landscape elements.  These exterior spaces will support various activities and foster interaction of the diverse groups on campus.  These pedestrian areas are connected with landscaped meadows that represent extensions of the canyons into the neighborhood core.

Based on generalized land use categories Neighborhood Overlay Zones are also identified.  These include the Medical Center Zone (primarily inpatient, diagnostic and treatment), Ambulatory Care Zone, Clinical/Research Zone (including educational & clinical uses in addition to research) and the North Canyon Zone (clinical/research).

Concept Elements
Two density scenarios are addressed in the Neighborhood Plan for the 43-acre site.  Both density senarios are inclusive of existing development and are based on the same site organization framework.  The low-density program totals 614,800 ASF where the high-density program totals 911,500 ASF.  The larger density is based upon maximizing the building envelope within the open space requirements and height limitations and suggests a slightly higher FAR of approximately 2.0 than achieved in the 1989 LRDP.  The remaining limitation to capacity on the site is parking and access.

The revised roadway system will consolidate much of the developable land, permitting a more pedestrian-oriented environment but still providing vehicular access and circulation to clinical and other facilities.  This is accomplished through the elimination of a portion of Medical Center Drive and the strengthening and realignment of the perimeter roads that surround the existing development.  This becomes an encompassing vehicular loop.  At appropriate points in the loop system the roadway is divided with a generous median and stepped vertically with the contours of the site.  This is intended to reduce the visual encroachment of the roadways into the extended rustic landscape of the north and south meadows.

The loop road will also provide service and parking access to all buildings.  New clinical services buildings are proposed to provide limited below grade parking for patient use, within the bounds of each development site.  A major multi level, above-grade parking structure is also proposed at the eastern edge of the Clinical/Research Zone.  Although surface parking lots are envisioned in intermediate stages of development, no significant surface parking is part of the final plan in the high-density scenario.

Within the consolidated Neighborhood core is an interconnected system of major and minor pathways and plazas.  The primary pedestrian spine, the Health Sciences Walk, runs along the center of the site peninsula, bending in alignment with the existing canyon edges and forming the major organizing element of the plan.  This Walk is both interior and exterior as it crosses the site.  In addition to serving as a corridor, the walk is intended as a gathering area for faculty, students, staff, visitors and patients.  Interconnected with this central east-west spine are secondary north-south pathways that lead to building entries, parking and canyon overlooks at the mesa rim.  The western leg of Health Science Walk aligns with the current proposed location of the Gilman Bridge pylon structure, creating a strong visual link to the West Campus.

At key locations the walkway system is integrated into important nodes on the open space network, allowing the passerby to experience these central gathering areas and related entries to primary buildings.  These nodes include more informal elements such as the North and South Meadows and related existing canyon areas, as well as more architecturally defined plazas at the entry points to the Neighborhood from the surrounding community, such as Campus Point Plaza.

The landscape development also contributes to the distinct character of each of the exterior spaces and pathways.  The Meadows and Canyon Rims consist of more rustic and transitional planting with more discrete landscape development in the plazas and protected walkways.

The entry or gateway plazas in the Medical Center Zone include the Transit Plaza, located opposite the future LRT Station, in the southwest corner of the Neighborhood and a new Medical Center Plaza, north of the existing Thornton Hospital and Perlman Center.  Each of these plazas is formal and focuses on primary entries to the core clinical services on the site.  In the Clinical Research Zone at the intersection of Campus Point Drive with the Medical Center Drive loop road is Campus Point Plaza.  This is intended as the primary ceremonial public space of the Neighborhood and is visually connected to the South Meadow and Canyon beyond.  Bordering this Plaza is the proposed site for the Medical Education Center, the most public and broadly used proposed facility in the Neighborhood.

Implementation
The implementation of the East Campus Health Sciences Neighborhood Plan will occur over decades, driven by program needs and available resources.  To consider the build-out proposed in the high-density plan will require a revision to the Long-Range Development Plan and an understanding of the effect of surrounding roadway improvements and the proposed light rail transit system.

Contributing to major progress in realizing the vision of this study is a trio of projects currently underway.  The proposed new Cancer Center and the Shiley Eye Center addition, in the Clinical Research Zone, will define much of Health Sciences Walk East.  Development of the Cancer Center site will also create the South Meadow landscape, eliminating a portion of Campus Point Drive from the neighborhood and thus creating a vehicle free pedestrian environment.  Related to both of these projects is the first stage of construction of the new East Campus Utilities Plant.

These projects are typical of future phases where campus infrastructure, site and landscape improvements are incrementally implemented with specific building development.