“Working In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A series with downtown San Diego business operators. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who work here. This is the 27th in an ongoing series.
Company name: Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. (401 B Street, Suite 600). Been in business for 58 years and has more than 10,000 employees, including 80-plus in San Diego.
What happens here: Kimley-Horn is a top-notch civil engineering and design consulting firm that brings innovative and sustainable solutions to life. Our company is employee-owned. My work focuses on improving safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and other transportation users around San Diego County and statewide.
I am: Civil Engineer Tatiana Lundstrom. I’ve lived for four wonderful years in Bankers Hill. I love living close to Balboa Park and all the museums.
My commute: It’s a 10-minute bike ride to work in downtown San Diego. It’s 20 minutes to pedal back home up the hill after work. Having my toddler on the bike makes the ride tougher. She loves our daily bike rides and gets to bark at dogs and wave at the buses.
Improving public transportation is personal: Many of us work on projects in the areas we live in, and bike, walk, bus or trolley to work. We personally invest in improving safety and accessibility for our communities. It’s always a fun day when I get to bike to or from work alongside a coworker or colleague.
Best aspects of working downtown: Bike lanes to and from work. Access to great food. Easy commute to the waterfront.
Worst aspects of working downtown: Lack of cleanliness. Interacting with people who are in an altered state of mind.
Big-event bumps: We do traffic studies and planning for live events such as sporting events, concerts and the upcoming 2028 Olympics. We also study and improve wildfire evacuation routes throughout the county.
Homelessness: We have worked on projects that involved creating shelters for the unhoused population and we work with different cities throughout San Diego County to help address this ongoing issue.
Company pet/mascot: Scrappy the pup! We all have stuffed animal versions of him. My toddler loves to carry him around.
Regular customers: The City of San Diego. Oftentimes we have to drop off hard copies of plans or other documents. It helps when you can just carry them over or wheel the heavier ones over in a wagon.
How can the city be more business friendly: Continue to create spaces for the public to gather for free. The small park nearby our office has been incredible when I need to unwind or take a break on a stressful day.
Most surprising part of working downtown: How many great post-work teambuilding activities there are within walking distance. We’ve gone to rooftop movie nights, trivia nights, multiple Padres games and karaoke.
Funniest downtown work memory: I like to wear skirts and dresses when I bike. One day, I forgot to tuck the skirt into my bike shorts. Halfway home, I felt a tug and my bike made a sudden stop. My dress got caught in the bike chain and wrapped around the gears. I carried it awkwardly to a nearby shop (with the help of a Good Samaritan). The bike shop staff got a good laugh and immediately helped me get my dress out of the gears. FYI: My new bike has a covered chain.
Scariest downtown work memory: I saw a teenager on a skateboard get hit by a car. The car accelerated before the light turned green. It ran straight into the kid, knocking him over and breaking his skateboard in half. I got off of my bike to help keep him calm while we waited for emergency services. Unfortunately, the driver got out and started talking about how he was a lawyer. I tried to keep the kid there – he was really banged up and shaken – but he said his family couldn’t afford to pay for an ambulance. He gathered up his broken skateboard and shuffled away. In my line of work, we often tally up the fatalities and serious injuries when proposing suggested safety improvements for our clients. This was a sad reminder that there are a ton of incidents that don’t get recorded.
Favorite downtown business that isn’t yours: Knead bakery. It’s my go-to coffee and pastry shop. Their ham and cheese croissants are so flakey and their turmeric latte is creamy and delicious. SDSun
Live or work in downtown San Diego and want to share your stories? Email: rondonoho@gmail.com.
