Evidence-Based Design with Fred Marks

The Finest City

The oral history episode series continues with architect and former C-3 President, Fred Marks. Kate Goodson sits down with Fred to talk about evidence-based design and the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, including how humans are affected by architecture, building scale, and urban design. They also cover the critical role C-3 played in the beginning of downtown San Diego’s redevelopment in the late 1980s and ’90s, and how we can do better in the future knowing now how cities evolve over time.

Timestamps:

[7:14] Where did Fred’s interest in evidence-based design come from?

[13:29] How the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) came to be.

[13:31] How we can consider universal human needs when designing from a large urban scale perspective.

[14:01] Fred discusses Dr. Jonas Salk.

[20:20] Why was it important to redevelop downtown in the 1990s?

[17:52] Fred talks about the concept of growth management.

[22:17] The history of C-3 being led by bright males and females, who were leaders in their community and whose opinions and actions were valued.

[27:24] Horton Plaza was a respite from the perception of downtown as an unsafe place.

[37:02] How redevelopment was funded at the state and city level, and more about the Center City Development Corporation.

[40:44] Why Governor Jerry Brown eventually eliminated the state-funded redevelopment program.

[43:48] How people engage in the public realm can greatly affect their health.

[44:41] How scale affects a person’s experience in their environment.

[50:00] It’s very important that we have these incubators where people can restore their natural being, and then re-enter the larger urban space to deal with everyday activities.

[50:12] Can this type of stimulation be reproduced in the built form?

[58:13] How Fred got involved with C-3.

[58:44] How C-3 should be carried forward into the future.

[1:06:44] What challenges will the next generation of designers and activists face in San Diego and how might an organization like C-3 provide education and assistance to them?

About C-3

In its 60 years of existence, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) has brought together local thought leaders from planning, design, policy, academia, community development, and more to address our region’s distinctive and pressing land use challenges. In founding C-3 almost 60 years ago, architect Lloyd Ruocco’s vision was to bring together our region’s most creative minds from the arts, sciences, academia, and government to share ideas, learn new perspectives, and build fellowship around the idea of creating livable communities.

Opportunities for Advocacy and Engagement:

C3sandiego.org

San Diego Coastkeeper

AIA

ANFA