This document discusses improving San Diego's quality of life through a neighborhood-first approach to development. It argues that San Diego has historically taken a "silver bullet" urban renewal mindset that has left infrastructure deficits. The document advocates planning and developing at the neighborhood scale, with complete, compact, and connected neighborhoods, using form-based codes and place-based approaches. This would help build America's Finest City of Villages and balance development with infrastructure to enhance quality of life.

1. Quality-of-Life Discussion
Or Overcoming San Diego‟s Infrastructure Deficit Disorder

2. First of all, I Blame the Kids
Redevelopment Reform is Linked to State Education
Reform

3. And, I Blame These People…
As well as Avoiding a 2/3 Majority Vote and any Public Dialog
Image by: Sam Hodgson

4. I Could Blame My Profession?
It‟s Not About Blight Anymore…

5. But, Maybe its Everyone?
It‟s Not About Blight Anymore…

6. Improving our Quality of Life
Balancing our „Silver Bullet‟ Approach (Urban Renewal
Mindset)

7. Improving our Quality of Life
With a Complete Neighborhoods First Approach…

8. Improving our Quality of Life
Building Towards America‟s Finest City of Villages

9. A (short) History of San
Diego‟s Development History

10. Transit = Time + Money
Ships Leveraged San Diego‟s Initial Development
Potential

11. Transit = Time + Money
Trains Leveraged San Diego‟s Development Potential

12. Transit = Time + Money
Street Cars Leverage New Suburban Development
Potential

13. Transit = Time + Money
Private Cars Extend Suburban Development Potential
Image by: Russ Preston

14. Transit = Time + Money
San Diego‟s 1981 Trolley Service First Modern Light Rail
System
Image by: Russ Harris

15. Transit = Time + Money
Smart Phones Leveraging San Diego‟s Development
Potential

16. Community is the New
Technology
Smart Phones Leveraging San Diego‟s Redevelopment
Potential

17. Neighborhood-Based
Development Structure
Historically, hotels, shops and restaurants were built by local
people investing in their own neighborhoods. Today, everything
is traded on Wall Street and in mutual funds.

18. How-To-Make Great Places
The Good (Policies), Bad (Regulations) and Ugly
(Implementation)

19. Visioning to Create Political Will
America‟s Finest City of Villages – Great Policies

20. Fits with Future Financing
More Urban Centers to More Rural Centers

21. The Neighborhood Unit
Complete, Compact, Connected, Complex and Convivial

22. The Neighborhood Unit
The TOD is a San Diego Invention! Own it / Live it! (Shelly
Poticha)

23. Community Plan Scale is a
Problem
Community Plans have Political Boundaries

24. Planning at the Neighborhood-
Scale
Places over Politics – Same Scale as TODs

25. Planning Neighborhood
Complexity
Each Pedestrian Shed has a Variety of Intensities and Places

26. Planning Neighborhood
Complexity
Form-Based Codes, Context-Sensitive Codes, Place-Based
Codes

27. Implementation at Block/Lot
Scale
Reinforce the Value and Variety of Different Place Types

28. And, Circulate Tax Revenues
Complexity of Revenues and Expenses

29. “In America… Quantity is
Quality.”
- Aldo Rossi (an Italian Architect)

30. Public Standards too Suburban

31. Public Standards too Suburban

32. Land Lifts
Streets as Redevelopment Areas

33. Decision Districts
Neighborhood-scaled Development Services Districts
e

34. Understand Places People Love
Assist the Public to Envision/Understand the Plan

35. Neighborhood-Based Codes
Linking Public and Private Realm with Development
Standards

36. Neighborhood-Based Codes
„Context Codes‟ Require a Plan – Plan as Master Developer

37. Neighborhood-Based Codes
Based on Civic Infrastructure (and Financing its Deficits)

38. Place-Based Codes
Denver, Miami, El Paso, Montgomery, Taos, Kona, and
Ramona

39. A Couple of Great Projects
Redevelopment 2.0: TOD, CEQA Reform and Affordable
Housing

40. A Couple of Great Projects
Redevelopment 2.0: TOD, CEQA Reform and Affordable
Housing

41. More Predictability, Please
Regulate Public Works, Park and Recreation with Planning
City-Wide Regulations:
General + Community
Plans / Zoning /
Subdivision
Pilot Projects:
Special Overlays / Zoning /
Design Guidelines

42. Use Code as Master Developer
Greater Risk with ONE Master Developer – Redwood
City, CA

43. Quality, Design and Place
Matters
The Experience Markets the Place

44. Quality, Design and Place Matters
The Experience Markets the Place & Improves our Quality of
Life

45. Thank You!