This document is Nichole Garner's design portfolio containing summaries of 3 studio projects completed during her City and Regional Planning program. Project 1 involved redesigning a site in downtown San Luis Obispo to be more pedestrian friendly. Project 2 was redesigning an area around a power plant in Morro Bay, California. Project 3 was partnering with the city of Wasco, California to revitalize its Highway 46 Corridor.

1. Nichole Garner
Design Portfolio
CITY & REGIONAL PLANNING STUDENT
CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN LUIS OBISPO

3. CONTENTS
Studio Project 1................................................................4
Studio Project 2................................................................6
Studio Project 3................................................................8

4. 4 Garner | Portfolio
Project 1
Completed during Basic Graphic Skills Studio
Students in the CRP 201 Basic Graphic Skills studio individually developed small scale urban design proposals
for a site in Downtown San Luis Obispo using contemporary planning techniques emphasizing pedestrian
friendliness, ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable design solutions. Key design elements from this
proposal include an outdoor amphitheater, mixed use residential development, a restaurant with outdoor seating,
art museum, and a bicycle shop. Students were challenged to revitalize the area while incorporating existing uses
and natural features. This project served as an introduction to SWOT analysis, the design proposal process, and
developing a basic graphic skill-set.
Hand-rendered aerial
view of site plan with
red lines depicting
location of site
elevation.
Hand-rendered analysis of the site’s existing surrounding
environment including opportunities and constraints as they
relate to the project.
Hand-rendered conceptual diagram illustrating locations and
adjacency relationships on the site.

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Bird’s eye view of digital Model rendered on SketchUp.
Site section illustrating three key pedestrian anchor destinations.
Restaurant and fountain seating scene rendered on
SketchUp and edited on Photoshop.
Mixed-use courtyard scene rendered on SketchUp and
edited on Photoshop.
Waterfront access scene rendered on SketchUp and
edited on Photoshop.

6. 6 Garner | Portfolio
Project 2
Completed during Urban Design Studio II
During the CRP 203 Urban Design Studio, students redesigned and developed a site in the northern part of the
City of Morro Bay, CA, specifically the area that includes the historic Morro Bay Stacks and Power plant. The
studio was split up into five groups and each group was assigned one of four portions of the larger site. Students
were challenged to re-purpose the building and stacks of the power plant while preserving the natural elements of
the site and character of Morro Bay. The design process included the following steps: Site Analysis, Case Studies,
Concept Development, and Design. To conduct the site analysis, the studio visited the site, took an inventory, and
identified opportunities and constraints. Student groups then analyzed project examples from various locations in
the United States to identify well-planned and well-executed examples to inspire their design for the Morro Bay
site, as well as identify what would not work or would not be appropriate. The studio as a whole is proposing a new
mixed use development for the area around the Morro Bay power plant.
Garner.Kobayashi.Raynor :: Combrink :: CRP 203 :: Spring 2014
The city of Brea is located in Orange County, California
with a population of 41,394. Brea began as a center
for crude oil production and then later became a big
citrus producer. As of now, the city of Brea has become
an important retail center with Brea mall and the new
Downtown Brea being the major attractions. Due to
the decline of the old Downtown, the city worked with
its citizens and developers to envision and create the
new Downtown. The old downtown was centered
on Brea Boulevard which has become auto-oriented
discouraging pedestrian walkability. Birch Street, which
is perpendicular to Brea Boulevard, has become the
new home for Downtown Brea. To create the new
downtown feel, Brea adopted many design ideas that
include pedestrian walkability, mixed land uses, as well
as providing different housing choices and creating a
pleasant community. Now the Downtown Brea hosts
numerous activities including jazz festivals, farmers
markets, and has become a popular tourist destination
and local hangout.
Downtown
Brea
Physical elements that match the
size of humans and correspond
to the speed at which they walk
create a more comfortable
environment for pedestrians. Birch
St. caters to the human scale by
providing small shop signs that are
perpendicular to the buildings as
well as large signs that are flush with
the facade. The building heights
are tall enough to create a sense
of enclosure, but short enough
to be considered human scale.
Frequently placed benches and
planters as well as outdoor cafe
seating also contribute to a human
scale pedestrian experience.
Downtown Brea, although fairly small has certain characteristics that make it a noteworthy
place to experience and be. The mix of street furniture, landscaping, outdoor dining, and
building facades make for a rich street experience. Downtown lofts and apartments, in
addition to retail, dining, and entertainment support a “24-7” atmosphere. At the entrance
to downtown, there is a textured intersection, which is a dynamic element that illustrates to
user that they are entering a new place from where they were. At the end of downtown,
in the curve that leads to Ralph’s, there is a large designed point built into the facade and
serves as a physical element that will create a lasting impression to the visitor, as it is the last
element seen before leaving.
The ground floor does a fairly decent job of connecting both the public
and the private spaces. The windows and doors are mostly glass, which
allows for the pedestrian to see in and vice versa. This provides “eyes
on the street”, which is a huge safety opportunity utilized within the
downtown. A limited amount of fences or barriers and the ability to see
and experience without interruption brings true transparency to a site.
Unbroken building fronts of roughly equal height line the street to
create a sense of enclosure, and the width of the street is proportional
to the building heights. The west end of Birch St. curves and blocks the
pedestrians line of sight, placing a building as the focal point giving the
street an enclosed feeling. Brea Blvd., on the other hand, is wide and
caters to the automobile. The building heights are not proportional to the
street width, which is a six lanes, and is especially noticeable to pedestrians
crossing the intersection of Birch and Brea Blvd.
The City’s planning efforts have focused on creating
connections between neighborhoods, retail, and the
downtown. They accomplished this with 96 single family homes
located on the edges of the downtown area, and by creating
shared open space between homes to reduce yard sizes.
Downtown Brea is within close proximity to the Brea Chamber
of Commerce, City of Brea art gallery, Brea Community Center,
and Curtis Theatre. These services are in close proximity to
downtown, and serve as a utility purpose.
The downtown district is comprised of a pedestrian
friendly retail strip/mixed use development with
major stores located on the outskirts serving as
anchors. Due to its simplistic design, the area is
very navigable. Along with the major stores on the
outskirts serving as landmarks, two movie theaters
are located in the middle of the retail strip to serve
as reference points. A possible problem with the
downtown area is its lack of consistency. Because
Birch St. runs perpendicular to the old downtown
street of Brea, traveling away from the main retail
strip places the pedestrian in a completely new
environment. South Brea is less pedestrian friendly,
and creates an endless strip mall feel instead of
the urban environment of Birch Street. The new
Downtown Brea has become a shining example of
a revitalized downtown.
Imageability
Legibility
Enclosure
Human Scale
Transparency
Linkage
Coherence
Downtown Brea, and especially Birch St. is filled with character-giving
design elements. There is a range of structure height, window openings,
and materials that create visual interest. Different forms of street art,
sidewalk paving, signage, seating, and landscaping line the sidewalk. The
narrow streets, especially paved crosswalks, street trees, wide sidewalks,
and street furniture make downtown Brea a welcoming place for
pedestrians.
Complexity
Because the new downtown area had architectural control criteria regulating
development, different architects were able to design each piece, resulting in a downtown
that flows. The city hired four different architects to create style differences to make
the buildings on Birch St. feel as if they were developed over time instead of having the
whole area looking too similar. Overall the area has a unique and nice flow to its overall
appearance. Parking within the retail strip is well hidden, either behind buildings or
constructed off of the downtown strip. At the beginning of the downtown area from South
Brea, the buildings start to grow in scale (apart from the movie theater); this accomplishes
the goal of creating an urban center towards the end of Birch Street. The development has
two move theaters next to each other, which is a bit excessive. The movie theater at the
West end of Birch St. looks more cohesive with the scale and look of that area.
Each team compiled a report which documented the factual characteristics of their case study site, as well as the
different design qualities and features that made it unique from others. Imageability, human scale, and linkage
were among the features examined. These different design features were then used to analyze the Morro Bay
project site and to assess the improvements to be made. Our team completed a case study on Downtown Brea
illustrated by the findings in the poster above. We chose Downtown Brea because it has many of the urban design
qualities we envisioned for Morro Bay while still maintaining a small-town scale and character.
Our team’s case study poster summarizing our analysis and findings.

7. 7Garner | Portfolio
A
B
1 2
3
4
5
6
7 8
9 10 11
12
13
MorroBay
cross section A
street elevation B
During the CRP 203 Urban Design Studio, students redesigned and developed the area around the existing power plant
in Morro Bay. The studio was split up into five groups and each group was assigned a different portion of the entire power
plant site. Based off the initial analysis of opportunities and constraints, proposed vision, and design objectives, a final
project design is being proposed by each team, which includes a finalized illustrative site plan, displaying the team’s
redevelopment designs, major design elements, and visions for their portion of the site.
El Camino consists primarily of commercial and community uses, and includes a pedestrian paseo showcasing community
art buildings, a small-scale hotel, as well as retail and cafe areas. The pedestrian paseo links the North and South ends of
the site by cutting through the center and connecting the Embarcadero with the central Plaza. Open and natural spaces
within the site include the amphitheater, located along the paseo near the entry park, the dune preservation next to the
amphitheater, and several small pocket parks and plazas throughout the site.
Nichole Garner
Thomas Kobayashi
Rachel Raynor
CRP 203 | Dennis Combrink
Urban Design Studio | Spring 2014
Building
Number
Building
Footprint (SF)
Floors Use Total SF
1 18,400 1 C 18,400
2 14,925 1 PF 29,850
3 9,656 1 C 9,656
4 15,048 1 C 15,048
5 39,991 2 Hotel 79,982
6 6,754 1 C 6,754
7 11,785 1 PF 11,785
8 8,188 1 PF 8,188
9 15,800 1 PF 15,800
10 10,634 1 PF 10,634
11 12,774 2 1-C, 2-O 25,548
12 32,798 1 C 32,798
13 14,868 1 C 14,868
Total SF of site 942,300 SF
Total Parking 162,343 SF
El Camino
Computer rendered scene of Entry Park and ocean front cafes. Hand rendering of Hotel and community center area.
Bird’s eye view of site looking West.
Bird’s eye view of site looking North.
Computer rendered scene of open amphitheater.
Illustrative site plan corresponding to table above.
The design portion of the studio was based off the initial analysis of opportunities and constraints, proposed vision,
and the team’s design objectives. This includes a finalized illustrative site plan, displaying the teams redevelopment
designs, major design elements, and visions for their portion of the site.
The team’s individual site is located in the central portion and spans from the Embarcadero to a central Plaza that
three of the other team’s sites share. This portion of the site is proposed to consist of primarily commercial and
community uses, and includes a pedestrian
paseo showcasing public use buildings,
community art buildings, a community center,
as well as commercial buildings.
The project’s major design elements include
an open air amphitheater, mixed use office/
retail, and a pedestrian paseo connecting the
northern roundabout and the southern entry
park. The key goals of the team’s concept are
to integrate new urbanism design features
that promote walkability, connection, and
alternative means of travel throughout the
site while maintaining Morro Bay’s quirky
small town feel.
Hand rendering based off of SketchUp model of Hotel and Community
Center plaza; completed by myself.
Project proposal poster displaying site plan, sections, bird’s eye of SketchUp model, site statistics, and perspective illustrations.

8. 8 Garner | Portfolio
Project 3
Completed during Urban Design Studio III
The CRP 341 Urban Design Studio partnered with Planning Staff in the City of Wasco, CA, to revitalize its
Highway 46 Corridor. Teams traveled to Wasco and conducted field surveys to assess existing infrastructure
conditions and resident’s opinion of the corridor and City as a whole. The studio then took this information and
developed goals and policies to be implemented in the final design proposal.
Class Vision Statement:
“The Highway 46 Corridor in Wasco will serve both drivers-by and the Wasco community through diverse
commercial uses in a people-friendly, socially active, and attractive environment. Its design will encourage
pedestrian and bicycle use and promote strong connections between the surrounding districts and the downtown.
The Corridor will provide a memorable, pleasant and distinguished experience that will establish Wasco’s identity
in the Central Valley.”
Our team of four students was assigned the West gateway of the corridor. This portion of the corridor is
characterized by vacant lots, heavy industrial uses, agricultural land, and is divided vertically by railroad tracks.
This posed a challenge to our team’s design concept as a high-speed train, to be installed 45 feet above the existing
railroad tracks, has been approved to pass through Wasco.
Hand rendered cross section of street scape illustrating the Cal trans approved additional
traffic lanes, landscape buffers, and drive through.
Hand rendered cross section of gateway bridge illustrating the new high-speed rail line
and pedestrian safety.
Team’s site location illustrated by red box.

9. 9Garner | Portfolio
Hand rendered team concept plan.
Hand rendered perspective of new gateway bridge and underpass; completed
by myself. Improvements include additional Cal trans approved traffic lanes
and safe pedestrian passage. To the right: existing bridge and underpass.
Hand rendered perspective of proposed college open-space;
completed by myself.
Hand rendered perspective of student housing courtyard;
completed by myself.
The team’s objectives included preserving the
existing industrial uses necessary for Wasco’s
economic development while bringing
in new uses that would attract passers-by
and bring visitors to the West Gateway.
To accomplish this, the project proposal
included new industrial uses buffered by
landscaping, new commercial development,
and an agricultural school including student
housing.