Does Downtown San Diego Measure Up as a 'Vibrant Downtown'?

After 25 years of redevelopment, San Diego's downtown has undergone dramatic changes, including many new residential towers, vibrant dining and entertainment options, a professional baseball stadium, a convention center, a new central library, a growing educational sector, an expanding light rail network, an established carshare program, and a soon to come bikeshare program. As a result, the city's downtown is the recipient of much praise, from within and outside, regarding its downtown redevelopment efforts. However, upon reading John Karras's article, "12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City’s Downtown" (posted in Planetizen as "12 Strategies for Revitalizing Downtowns" on 2/26/1014), local land use attorney Bill Adams decided to take a look at how many of the strategies San Diego have or needed to implement. The resulting "test score" might surprise a few.