Recreate Exposition Spirit at Balboa Park in 2015

This was submitted as an idea to the Politifest 2012 Idea Tournament. VOSD members will vote on the best ideas and on Sept. 19 we’ll announce six contenders (Not a member? Join now to vote). At Politifest on Sept. 29, each of the six finalists will have five minutes to pitch their idea to a panel. The panel rates the ideas and two finalists advance. The crowd at Politifest will vote on a winner. The winner will receive an “idea-inspired” trophy custom-designed by former City Councilwoman Donna Frye. VOSD CEO Scott Lewis will also write about the winner’s idea.

Generate interest and investment in the San Diego region during the entire year of 2015 through coordinating cultural, educational, environmental and entertainment events under the theme “BioInspiration, Imagination, Innovation and Opportunities in San Diego and Beyond.” Raise interest in Balboa Park as a sustainability showcase by eliminating private automobiles within the park and replacing access for the physically challenged with an internal transportation system designed for the park. Engage transportation and technology companies to design automated electric vehicles (induction-charged or hydrogen fuel cell) that operate individually or in platoon/tram mode as demonstration vehicles within the park. Create a fueling station on the Arizona Canyon landfill that uses water from the aquifer, geothermal power, solar power, wind power and methane from the landfill for hydrogen and power generation.

Create “Streets of Dreams” for donors where colored titanium-dioxide based pavers are etched with their dreams as pictographs or limited number of characters (matching funds from Twitter?), and the dreams are linked to a database of dreams where donors can include their names and the stories behind their dreams. The colored pavers can make designs (geoglyphs) when viewed from the air and have different designs (pathways) when viewed at ground level.

Invite top innovators from around the world to compete in showcases throughout the region that are combined with tradeshows, scientific discussions, educational events and entertainment activities (like movie premieres). Coordinate ways for businesses, schools and organizations throughout the region to create interest, investment and jobs in their region under the overall theme.

At the same time, municipalities need to coordinate demonstrating how they are business- and resident-friendly in ways that attendees and visitors are able to understand the return on investment that they would receive by coming to the San Diego region on a permanent basis.

In essence, this recreates the spirit under which the 1915 and 1935 expositions were held in San Diego.

Kevin Swanson submitted this idea to the Politifest 2012 Idea Tournament. Join us on Sept. 29!