Saving San Diego With Regional Planning

This Union-Tribune editorial argues for stronger regionaldecision-making in San Diego. The piece points to population growth,sprawl and overburdened infrastructure as obstacles to high quality oflife. To support this point, the editorial presents a range ofstatistics to illustrate a worsening state of affairs in the region.Rational regionwide planning, the Union-Tribune suggests, is the bestresponse to unstoppable growth, but it can not be attained as localgovernment is currently structured. For regionwide planning to besuccessful, a governmental entity with limited land-use authority overprojects with regional significance-like mass transit corridors andairports-will be necessary. At the same time, local governments shouldrelinquish some land use power in regional initiatives. The editorialcites the California Coastal Commissionas a promising model for this limitedbut effective regionwide planning.