As its neighbor to the north considers merging its planning department, San Diego is headed in the opposite direction. The departure of the city's Development Services Director clears the way for Mayor Bob Filner to reestablish a planning department.
"One of Mayor Bob Filner's first priorities when he took office, he said, was to separate the city's planning department and the development services department, which had been operating with a single director since a shakeup orchestrated under Filner's predecessor," writes Andrew Keatts.
The announcement last week that Development Services Director Kelly Broughton would be stepping down seems to signal that shift may be under way.
"Bringing city planning onto its own footing would help neighborhoods pursue big-picture, quality-of-life issues as they grow," says Keatts. "Development services, then, could revert to essentially just approving various permits."
"The new planning department, Filner said Thursday, will take a broader, more ambitious view of the neighborhood-level decisions city planners already make. He threw out 'the department of sustainable neighborhoods' as a possible new name. It would focus on problems facing small businesses, economic development, historic preservation, design guidelines, walkability and bikeability."
FULL STORY: Departure Clears the Way for Filner's Planning Vision
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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