Encinitas, CA, June 24, 2024 – The City of Encinitas is proud to announce that Cottonwood Creek Park has been honored with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) San Diego Chapter 2024 Climate Action + San Diego Landmark Award. This esteemed accolade recognizes the enduring value and community impact of landscape architecture projects. Designed by the Schmidt Design Group, Cottonwood Creek Park has been enhancing the quality of life in Encinitas for over 20 years.

The Landmark Award celebrates the work of landscape architects whose projects have created significant and lasting value for their communities. Cottonwood Creek Park exemplifies this with its innovative design and sustainable features that have set a standard for parks regionally and beyond. Constructed in 2004, the park transformed an industrial maintenance yard into a vibrant, sustainable community space.

"Winning the ASLA San Diego Chapter 2024 Climate Action + San Diego Landmark Award is a tremendous honor for Cottonwood Creek Park," said Mayor Tony Kranz. " For over two decades, Cottonwood Creek Park has not only provided a beautiful and engaging environment for our residents but also set a benchmark for environmental stewardship and innovation in landscape architecture. We are proud of this recognition and grateful to Schmidt Design Group for their visionary work that continues to inspire and enhance our city."

For 20 years, Cottonwood Creek Park has brought joy, a sense of community, and connection to nature to all who visit. Source: Schmidt Design Group

Located just blocks from the beach, the 8-acre Cottonwood Creek Park is unique in its natural character. Visitors enjoy open turf areas, a picnic gazebo, sports courts, a children’s play area, pedestrian bridges, decks, and environmental education. The park features a 600-foot-long flowing creek and wetland habitat created by daylighting existing drainage infrastructure, a practice not common 20 years ago. This design carved out up to 15 feet of soil, creating a vegetated channel that serves as a habitat corridor and a place for natural play. These features balance environmental sustainability with recreational needs, enhancing community well-being. Natural play has become a local staple, with children exploring the creek’s edges and enjoying evening frog serenades. The park honors the historical significance of Cottonwood and Moonlight Creeks with quotes from early newspaper articles engraved on stone panels. As one of the first large-scale installations of pervious concrete in San Diego County, the park uses decomposed granite for paths, adding to its sustainable design. Now 20 years old, Cottonwood Creek Park continues to lead in sustainable site design, engaging visitors with interpretive signage, historic tiles, and natural play elements that tell the story of the park’s past, present, and future.