Petco Park, San Diego CA

With the left feild open to street level and it's location in the heart of Downtown San Diego, Petco Park is definitely worthy of some attention. Not only that, but the grassy slope situated behind the outfield fence serves as a free local park during non-game times and a highly affordable ($5 a ticket!) way of watching America's favorite past time.

An excellent example of adaptive reuse, the Western Metal Supply Co. building, a hundred-year old brick structure that had been scheduled for demolition to make way for PETCO Park, was saved and incorporated into the design of the ballpark. The building was renovated and contains the team store, private suites, a restaurant and rooftop seating. The southeast corner of the building serves as the left field foul pole, and is protected by a strip of bright yellow angle iron.

Project for Public Spaces

Project for Public Spaces is a great resource and inspiration  for Parks, Public Markets, Downtowns, Public Squares and more. They are advocates of "Streets as Places", "Placemaking"  and "Great Cities" , concepts not generally thought about or understood.

From their Mission Statement: "Our vision is to act as the central hub of the global Placemaking movement, connecting people to ideas, expertise, and partners who share a passion for creating vital places".  

To explore their site:  http://www.pps.org/