Editing University of San Diego (section)

== Environment and location ==
Alcalá Park sits atop the edge of a [[mesa]] overlooking [[Mission Bay, San Diego, California|Mission Bay]] and provides stunning panoramic views of San Diego.

The philosophy of USD's founder and her fellow religious relied on the belief that studying in beautiful surroundings could improve the educational experience of students. Thus, the university's buildings are designed in a 16th-century [[Plateresque]] architecture, a style of the [[Spanish Renaissance]], paying homage to both San Diego's Catholic heritage{{Clarify|date=May 2010}} and the [[University of Alcalá|Universidad de Alcalá]] in Spain.

The campus is located approximately two miles north of downtown San Diego, on the north crest of [[Mission Valley, San Diego|Mission Valley]] in the community of [[Linda Vista, San Diego|Linda Vista]]. From the westernmost edges of Alcalá Park the communities of [[Mission Hills, San Diego, California|Mission Hills]], [[Old Town San Diego|Old Town]], [[Point Loma]], [[Ocean Beach, San Diego|Ocean Beach]], Bay Park, [[Mission Beach, San Diego|Mission Beach]] and [[Pacific Beach, San Diego|Pacific Beach]] can be seen. Also, the Pacific Ocean, [[San Diego Bay]], the [[Coronado Islands]] and [[La Jolla]] are visible from the campus.

In February 2022, ''[[Travel+Leisure]]'' named USD campus as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title="America's Most Beautiful College Campuses", ''Travel+Leisure'' (September 2011)|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-campuses/7|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112114638/http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-campuses/7|archive-date=November 12, 2013|access-date=November 15, 2013}}</ref> and Best Choice Schools ranked it the most beautiful urban campus in the United States.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=America's Most Beautiful College Campuses|url=http://www.bestchoiceschools.com/50-most-beautiful-urban-college-campuses/|access-date=February 11, 2022|website=Best Choice Schools}}</ref>