1. Place Type: Community Center
El Cajon
Place Type: Community Center
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.
This simulation was created for the City of El Cajon and demonstrates a Community Center. The focus here is on enhancing the existing transit station, which serves as a terminus for several local routes, and the surrounding area.

2. The vantage point selected faces north along Marshall Avenue and is adjacent to the El Cajon Transit Center, just south of Main Street.
Interstate 8 runs parallel to Marshall Avenue.

3. Marshall Avenue at the El Cajon Transit Center – El Cajon, CA
The simulation begins with a view of existing conditions.
Existing Conditions
Area dominated by transit center with large park-and-ride lot.
Undersized sidewalks crossed by numerous driveways
Bicycle lane, but only in the northbound direction
Bus-bays along street edge creating zig-zag path for pedestrians
Click 1:
Public improvements:
Street trees and street lamps
Bus stops moved to other side of transit building to allow for straight sidewalk
Transit building on the left features an arcade over the sidewalk that allows for more depth for the upper floor, while providing greater architectural presence and shade.
Colonnaded pergola serves as a visual focus, helping to enclose the street as a public space and providing screened visibility for the bus stops behind.
Bicycle lanes on both sides of street
Click 2:
Taxis moved to curb side location
Click 3:
Mixed-use development providing ground floor shops and either offices or residences above, shown here at five stories
Click 4:
More mixed-use buildings close to sidewalks providing greater human presence and life on the street

4. Marshall Avenue at the El Cajon Transit Center – El Cajon, 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