Through workshops with the City of Imperial Beach, Simon Landscape Architecture and Hermann Design Group were able to develop a park concept that reflected the diverse themes within the local community. We also worked with the Kumeyaay Tribe to design an event stage and dance circle for festival use. We took into consideration the cultural impact of being directly on the Mexican border near Tijuana. This unique constraint helped govern the positioning of pathways and meeting areas so that Border Patrol could circulate the park, and people could gather during the times of the year the border opens for families to meet.

Friendship Park is located along the Pacific Ocean, which helped shape the design decisions made regarding water use. We used design standards that were developed separately with the San Diego Housing Commission to implement bio-swales, permeable paving, and irrigation methods to ensure the site was low-maintenance and could control water usage appropriately.