During a meeting in the Summer of 2011, The Pacific Beach Planning Group called for a long-term plan for this area.  The challenge was taken on by a core group of community professionals including experts in planning, architecture, sustainability, landscape and website design.  Over the course of one and a half years, The PB Parks Expert Team brought the community together for multiple meetings and design charrettes to create an approach to redesigning the project site. This Conceptual Plan considered input from City of San Diego and Regional planners, as well as elected officials and the California Coastal Commission.  As the Conceptual Plan began working it’s way through city channels to identify funding sources, the PB Parks Expert Team evolved into a non-profit organization, beautifulPB, and the resulting PB EcoDistrict.

In 2013, the PB Parks Expert Team worked closely with the City of San Diego Planning Department and Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s office to write a proposal for a planning grant through SANDAG’s  Smart Growth Incentive Program (SGIP).  The proposal, called Pacific Beach Boardwalk and Parks Neighborhood District, missed the funding cut-off by 2 points.  The project team received and integrated suggestions to improve the plan’s mobility component and to expand the project site farther North.

In 2015, beautifulPB continued to work with the City of San Diego Planning Department to make improvements to the proposal.  A planning grant proposal was submitted to SANDAG’s SGIP called Pacific Beach Greenways, Parks and Transit.  Michael Prinz and Chris Olson presented to SANDAG, resulting in a $400,000 grant and an additional $80,000 in matching funds from the City of San Diego.  The City of San Diego now features the project on their website as the Mission Boulevard Public Spaces & Active Transportation Plan, but the local community will always fondly refer to it as PB Parks.

The next steps include community input of a preferred concept, finalize a preferred concept, design for high priority projects and prioritized implementation and identification of financing mechanisms.