Overview

San Diego State University (SDSU) Mission Valley is a vibrant, medium-density, mixed-use, transit-oriented development located in Southern Ca. that will transform the University and City of San Diego. As such, this area is viewed as a community asset that expands SDSU’s educational, research, entrepreneurial, and technology programs while supporting community engagement. The entire area includes Snapdragon Stadium, an Innovation District, housing, a hotel, retail, and more than 80 acres of community parks and open space, including a 34-acre River Park.

The 34-acre River Park at SDSU Mission Valley includes a multi-use recreational grass field, more than 4-miles of walking and biking trails, courts, fitness area, and children’s play area. The playground was designed for children ages 3-years-old and up and features 10,000 square feet of SpectraTurf’s safety playground surface called SpectraPour.

Key Challenges and Solutions

SpectraPour is a poured-in-place, high-quality rubber safety surface. The two-part system, which is mixed, poured, and troweled on-site, consists of a base layer of shock-absorbing rubber material and a half-inch-thick wear surface comprised of rubber granules. The result is a system that conforms to ADA requirements and is IPEMA Certified, making it extremely safe in the event a child falls, because it meets critical fall heights.

SpectraPour's pour-in-place installation and wide variety of colors allows parks to create intricate and visually pleasing designs. The River Park at SDSU Mission Valley playground features eight colors, including canary yellow, green, sky blue, shamrock green, eggshell, cobalt blue, lime green, and black.

In addition to SpectraPour, the River Park at SDSU Mission Valley playground includes a rope climbing tree and play structures with slides and monkey bars. The layout of the play area was designed with two tiers — one for older children and one for younger kids — and both areas are connected by a safe-play slope that offers different challenges for kids as they climb and explore.

Beyond the recreational facilities, the park is expected to become a hub for community engagement, fostering a sense of connection and well-being with restored native habitats that invite local flora and fauna back into the ecosystem. Although the park is now accessible to the public, the official grand opening is scheduled for spring 2024. This timing aligns with the anticipated completion of additional park and open space areas currently undergoing construction along Murphy Canyon Creek, parallel to Interstate 15.