IN NOD TO GLOBAL HONOR, LET’S FIX FRIENDSHIP PARK
In celebration of the cities’ commitment to cross-border innovation and design, San Diego and Tijuana have become the first-ever joint World Design Capital for 2024. As the sister cities embark on a year-long series of conferences, events, exhibitions and workshops centering collaborative development, the underlying irony cannot be ignored.
Friendship Park, a symbol of binational unity on the San Diego–Tijuana border, lies starkly divided. Since 2019, its U.S. side has been closed. In a revival of Trump-era wall construction, the U.S. government is raising border walls from 18 to 30 feet, entirely contradicting the spirit of the World Design Capital distinction.
The towering walls dividing Friendship Park overshadow the World Design Capital program, which aims to reimagine the cities’ joint future.
If San Diego and Tijuana wish to genuinely embody the principles of binational collaboration the World Design Capital title celebrates, they must confront the glaring divide at Friendship Park. This title should be about more than symbolism; it should be about recommitting to tangible cross-border unity, beginning with Friendship Park.
Historically, Friendship Park provided a space for individuals separated by immigration status to meet loved ones across the border. For decades, visitors traveled hundreds of miles for the unique opportunity of a face-to-face reunion.
Inaugurated in 1971, the park promised binational collaboration. At its inauguration, first lady Pat Nixon declared, “May there never be a wall between these two great nations, only friendship.” Initially, families from both sides of the border could interact freely at Friendship Park, picnicking, surfing and enjoying the ocean views.
Over time, the U.S. government’s priority has shifted from friendship to securitization. Concerns about illegal immigration and national security have produced a multilayered border wall, transforming the oncewelcoming park into a militarized and highly surveilled zone.
By 2009, the U.S. side of Friendship Park had become a prison-like environment, requiring visitors to enter a space between fences colloquially known as “the cage.” This “cage” created an “enforcement zone” used by Border Patrol to apprehend unauthorized border crossers.
This transformation is more than structural; it symbolizes America’s retreat from crossborder friendship. While Friendship Park’s Tijuana side hums with vendors, festivals and community activism, the U.S. side’s persistent securitization underscores the need for a renewed commitment to an accessible park.
Architects and urban planners have proposed innovative designs for Friendship Park. These visions, in line with the World Design Capital ’s theme — “HOME” (Human-Centered, Open, Multidisciplinary/Multicultural, Experimental) — offer a road map for bridging both physical and ideological divides.
Groups like Friends of Friendship Park have consistently advocated to restore the park’s foundational spirit. In response to Donald Trump’s rallying call to “build that wall,” Friends of Friendship Park launched “Build That Park!” — a design contest inspired by the open layout of Peace Arch Park on the Washington state-Canada border. While a freely accessible Friendship Park appears unlikely, Friends of Friendship Park has rallied local support for architect Jim Brown’s designs, which propose enhanced access without compromising security. For these designs to become reality, they require broader support.
In conversations with peers, I’ve realized most nonlocals haven’t heard of Friendship Park, and before visiting, neither had I. In the media and politics, the border is seen as a desolate enforcement zone, its binational culture rarely discussed.
Friendship Park’s fate is largely determined by federal officials with similarly limited experience of the border culture. Restoring access thus requires national awareness and support. As San Diego and Tijuana showcase their innovative potential on the global stage, redesigning Friendship Park should be at the forefront of their agenda.
San Diego and Tijuana have already taken the first step. Their joint World Design Capital submission includes a proposed exhibit of Jim Brown’s proposed Friendship Park design at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s warehouse. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has said he hopes this distinction will allow Friendship Park to become “the destination it was created to be.” But to effect change, the sister cities must go beyond the theoretical and make Friendship Park a year-long priority.
The World Design Capital distinction offers a chance to unite stakeholders — from design professionals to elected officials — to collaborate on redesigning Friendship Park. This unique opportunity hinges on collaborative effort, drawing on the creativity and commitment of the broader community.
As the World Design Capital events near, the global spotlight on San Diego and Tijuana is a chance to showcase design’s role in addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time — border management. Elevating Friendship Park on the World Design Capital agenda would signal a commitment to binational unity, delivering tangible benefits that will outlast the year-long distinction.
San Diego and Tijuana must embody the principles of binational collaboration the World Design Capital title connotes.