David McCullough, ASLA, PLA
Principal Landscape Architect

Urban spaces are often designed around cars—streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, serving primarily as channels for movement. Yet with thoughtful design interventions, these same spaces can offer far more. They can become places of delight, connection, and community transformation.

Public art is one of the most powerful tools for this shift. A mural on a blank wall, a sculpture in a plaza, or an interactive installation in a forgotten corner can change the way people experience their city. Art does more than beautify; it creates landmarks, sparks conversations, and strengthens cultural identity. It turns overlooked spaces into destinations and ordinary routes into memorable experiences.

*Red Door Interactive Corporate Headquarters, San Diego, CA*

When paired with flexible, people-first design elements such as movable seating, greenery, and adaptable layouts, public art helps transform utilitarian environments—like parking lots—into vibrant hubs of social activity. Even the most functional spaces can become dynamic places where communities gather, interact, and thrive.

Cities like San Diego and Los Angeles are leading the way in integrating public art into urban design through transformative projects such as the downtown San Diego C Street Arts Corridor, the Santee Arts District, the San Diego State University Main Campus Arts District, and the San Diego State University West Campus Arts District. These initiatives showcase how thoughtfully curated public art, combined with flexible, human-centered design, can redefine streets, campuses, and neighborhoods. Well-designed murals, sculptures, and interactive installations both beautify spaces and offer a deeper connection between people and their environments.

The ripple effect of these interventions extends beyond aesthetics. Research shows that well-designed, art-infused spaces increase foot traffic, boost local economies, and encourage a stronger sense of belonging. These transformations prove that small changes can lead to profound impacts on how people live and connect within their cities.

Park(ing) Day 2025: Reimagining a Space Outside The Design Center into a Civil act of Joy

This philosophy comes to life during Park(ing) Day, an annual global event that challenges communities to rethink how parking spaces can be used. This year’s theme is “Curb the Power: Micro Acts of Civil Joy”. On Friday, September 19, 2025, McCullough, along with additional Design Center neighbors, will transform spaces outside our office into a temporary parklet featuring different forms of art, greenery, seating, and creative expression.

The installation will showcase how small interventions—like public art in various forms, or “micro acts of joy” — can shift perspective and spark new conversations about the future of urban spaces. For a single day, a typical car space will become a people space, highlighting the opportunities that lie in designing cities around community interaction and public art rather than vehicles.

We invite our San Diego community to stop by, experience the transformation, and imagine with us how small “civil acts of joy” can create lasting, positive change.

Public Art: Transforming Everyday Spaces into Places of Connection & Joy

Park(ing) Day 2025: Reimagining a Space Outside The Design Center into a Civil act of Joy