SAN DIEGO -- Approximately 40 representatives from major community planning and transportation groups were asked to dream big at a brainstorming workshop held Dec. 5. Organized by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the meeting was the first of its kind to solicit public input on updating the citywide regional bike corridor plans, including Uptown.

In 1902, Samuel Parsons, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the superintendent of Central Park in New York City, accepted a commission to design San Diego’s city park. When taken for a tour of the vast, undeveloped area that had been set aside, Parsons became lyrical about the view from the northeast corner of the park that became the corner of 28th and Upas streets.

Standing there, he compared the view of the Coronado Islands to the “stately pleasure dome of Xana Du decreed by Kubla Khan.” The corner was, for years thereafter, called “Parsons’ Gate.”

SAN DIEGO -- With so much community interest in the upcoming mayoral race, the San Diego LGBT Community Center's auditorium is expected to be a full house tonight at a forum in which each of the top four candidates for the office will address the crowd.

Carl DeMaio, Bonnie Dumanis, Bob Filner and Nathan Fletcher are all scheduled to attend the forum.

The LGBT/District 3 Mayoral Candidate Forum will begin at 6 pm and has been organized by The Center and a coalition of community organizations to give the candidates the opportunity to address the concerns of LGBT San Diegans.