Last month, the planning department of the City of San Diego was folded into the Development Services Department. Locals worry the shift in perspective will endanger plans being developed in a dozen different neighborhoods.
Mayor Jerry Sanders made the downgrade last month, and many city officials are concerned that the priorities of Development Services will not jibe with the goals of the planners.
Roger Showley reports:
"What's reduced planning as a priority is the dire city budget, which faces tens of millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls. Now, officials have to make choices - fund community plans or police on the beat, compose long-range visions or keep libraries and recreation centers open.
Sanders hopes to save at least $1 million by closing the Planning Department and lopping off a few executives and support personnel."
Read the full story: Has San Diego’s Planning Department Been Gutted?
Mixed Feelings As San Diego Dissolves Planning Department
As the San Diego Planning Department folds into another department to save city money, locals and former officials grapple with whether it was the right move and how the city could change as a result.
San Diego may kill one-third of its bus routes as budget crisis looms
Under the city's proposed plan, 21% of Metropolitan Transit System riders would lose access to transit services.
New density bill would require 7 California cities to establish regional transit hubs
The bill would also require major cities in California to permit high-rise residential buildings.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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