Bill Fulton Charts a Path for San Diego's Urban Evolution

William Fulton pens a column for the U-T San Diego assessing the city of San Diego's transition from suburban to urban after 18 months on the job as planning director.

1 minute read

January 6, 2015, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"When I arrived in San Diego as planning director 18 months ago, I came with a strong sense of mission," writes William ("Bill") Fulton to open the column. "My job, as I saw it, was to help the city successfully transition from a suburban to an urban place. This transition still seems inevitable to me. And I still believe that if San Diego does not confront this challenge directly, it will become not an elegant and well-functioning 21st century city, but rather an unworkable jumble of halfhearted efforts to both embrace and repel a more urban future."

Fulton, well known in planning circles as the former mayor of Oxnard, former vice president at Smart Growth America, and the publisher of the California Planning & Development Report, goes on to provide anecdotes from the up-and-down history of delivering on the state mission of his position as he issues a clear call to action for the city and its leaders to support the City of Villages planning agenda adopted by the city a decade ago.

Saturday, January 3, 2015 in U-T San Diego

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1 - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

May 1 - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.