San Diego

Power Shifts to Cities in San Diego County's Embattled Regional Planning Agency
Larger cities in California's second most populous county will be given more power thanks to a bill that reforms the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). One result may be that more public transit measures appear on the ballot.

Lessons From San Diego's Hepatitis A Outbreak
Voice of San Diego reports in detail about the months of warning San Diego officials had about the spread of Hepatitis A in public areas around the city. Still, prevention measures took a back seat to bureaucracy.

San Diego Activists Plan a Pedestrian Promenade and 'Nudillo'
Activists organized to save their downtown San Diego neighborhoods from the NFL Chargers' stadium proposal. Their defense strategy? A fine-grained community plan with no stadium. In the process, they came upon the idea of a promenade and a "Nudillo."

Could San Diego and Imperial Counties Split from California?
If one of the efforts to divide up California into smaller states became reality, San Diego and Imperial County would thrive, according to land use consultant Wayne Raffesberger.

Climate Change Is Shrinking the Colorado River
Documenting the effects of climate change on the West's most vital source of water.
Amid Controversy, More Density Urged Along San Diego Trolley Extension
In 2021, San Diego will open a northern trolley extension connecting its downtown and Golden Triangle. However, much of the route in between is barren and inaccessible. AIA-SD urges density and more effort to win over opponents.

San Diego, Marin County Heading the Opposite Direction on Housing Policy
The mayor of San Diego has acknowledged the ongoing crisis of housing affordability by pushing to make it easier to build housing at higher densities and with less parking. Marin County…not so much.

San Diego Activists Form Coalition to Respond to Homelessness, Housing Crisis
A diverse coalition of social justice, labor, and environmental groups have come together under the name Build Better San Diego to troubleshoot and advocate for affordable housing, writes affordable housing developer and advocate Murtaza Baxamusa.

Downtowns Still Need Parking
Downtown businesses still need a diverse supply of high-turnover parking spaces, argues former downtown San Diego shopkeep, planning activist, and parking guru, Bill Keller.

Why Great Cities Need Great Universities
Universities do more than teach classes; they can help transform economies and elevate cities to greatness. UC San Diego is banking on it.

San Diego Mayor: Recycled Wastewater Program Will Be a Model
Mayor Kevin Faulconer sees San Diego's Pure Water Program as proof of concept for other cities with uncertain water supplies. By 2035, the initiative aims to derive one-third of the city's supply from recycled wastewater.

Design Groups Say 'Whoa' to Soccer City Proposal for Former Charger Stadium Site
For San Diego's Mission Valley Qualcomm Stadium site, AIA-SD and E+DC urge a structured and orderly planning and disposition process.

City of Los Angeles Tops 4 Million in Latest State Population Report
As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.
When Environmental Goals Collide
Using the movie titled "When Worlds Collide" as a metaphor, environmental attorney Richard Opper describes how environmental regulations can get in their own way to defeat density and infill development—and NIMBYs are not just residents.

San Diego Controversy Exhibits Disconnect Between Citizen Advisors and Planning Staff
A community plan update and a development proposal have led to hurt feelings and flared tempers in San Diego.

Bus Rapid Transit In Name Only
San Diego provides a case study for how bus rapid transit sometimes fails to meet the standards befitting its name.

San Diego Doubled Housing Units Downtown and Rents Still Increased
San Diego invested $1.5 billion in tax increment to increase housing in its downtown but displaced affordable housing with unaffordable housing. Housing planner, developer and advocate, Murtaza Baxamusa gives some answers and asks some questions.

A New Community Plan for a Neighborhood on the Border
The city of San Diego recently approved a 30-year community plan for the San Ysidro neighborhood.

Why Is Actor Mario Lopez Promoting a Stadium Next to an Historic Barrio in San Diego?
In San Diego, a battle is taking place between residents of historic Barrio Logan and proponents of an NFL stadium which threatens it. Actor Mario Lopez has been hired to sell the stadium proposal.

What Happened to all those Desalination Plants Proposed for California?
Less than a decade ago, "desal" proposals in California numbered over 22, but only one major one was built—in Carlsbad, serving the San Diego region. A newly released study by the Pacific Institute explains why.
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