1. Old Palm Avenue and 2nd Street
Imperial Beach
Old Palm Avenue and 2nd Street
Place Type: Mixed Use Transit Corridor
The following visual simulation was created by Steve Price of Urban Advantage, Inc. as a visualization tool to showcase what smart growth and transit-oriented development could look like locally. This simulation is one of the tools in the Smart Growth Tool Box, a set of planning and financing resources being developed by SANDAG to assist local jurisdictions in implementing smart growth principles in the opportunity areas on the Smart Growth Concept Map.
This is a conceptual simulation of how this area could change through the application of smart growth principles, and is meant to generate additional ideas and discussion about smart growth opportunities.
Visual simulations were created for two locations in Imperial Beach. This one takes place at Old Palm Avenue and 2nd Street, with a focus on creating walkability and enhancing access to local transit services.

2. The vantage point faces west along Old Palm Avenue at the 2nd Street intersection.
Seacoast Drive and the shoreline are visible on the left-hand side of the aerial photograph. This under-performing commercial street has the possibility to be an exciting walkable main street near the beach.
The lots on Old Palm Avenue are shallow, requiring sensitive attention to parking management. Availability of on-street parking in front of shops will be critical. It may be difficult to provide parking for multi-story buildings.
Parking regulations require each business to provide off-street parking, but shallow parcel depths reduce space for parking circulation. Parking in the front becomes little more than a super-wide driveway crossing the paths of pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Double left turn lane allowing left turns into driveways, makes the street feel wide.

3. Old Palm Avenue and 2nd Street – Imperial Beach, CA
The simulation begins with a view of existing conditions.
Existing Conditions:
Numerous driveways reduce opportunity for on-street parking critical to main street shops.
Narrow sidewalks
No pedestrian scale lighting
Click 1:
Remove double-left turn lanes and curb cuts for driveways
Encourage on-street parking
Improve pedestrian crossings
Widen sidewalks and install bicycle stands
Plant street trees on curb side of sidewalks and install pedestrian-scale street lighting
Consider transit accessibility. Will development and public improvements make this an attractive and useful destination?
Click 2:
Bring in main street-type buildings – in this case, a tall one-story building to start to frame the street as a public space
Click 3:
Carefully bring in additional density. This three-story building is an owner-proposed project; note the driveway in the middle of the building. An occasional driveway may be acceptable, but should not be encouraged in a main street environment
Click 4:
Additional infill to produce a satisfying experience for the pedestrian walking down the street

4. Old Palm Avenue and 2nd Street – Imperial Beach, CA
Existing and conceptual images
Existing
Conceptual

5. Smart Growth Visual Simulations
Smart Growth Tool Box
SANDAG would like to thank Urban Advantage for these visual simulations, and remind you that the 3-D simulations and the photographs of existing smart growth projects will be available this fall.
For more information on the visual simulations and the Smart Growth Tool Box, please visit SANDAG’s website at