San Diego Union-Tribune

January 13, 2011

The Heart of the City -- Downtown More Than Buildings

by Cary Lowe & Michael Stepner Downtown San Diego is a resource for the entire region, providing the greatest concentration and diversity of business, residential, recreational and cultural opportunities. However, the plans and decisions that have governed downtowns resurgence in recent years, and which are driving much of what is being contemplated now, have focused mainly on simply developing the area, and have not placed downtown in a larger context. As we begin a new decade, we should pause to consider what we envision for downtown. That involves more than buildings. It concerns what kinds of activities belong downtown, what kinds of public spaces are needed, how downtown should relate to the adjoining neighborhoods, how downtown can best serve the needs of the region and how to finance continued revitalization and growth. A long-range vision needs to begin by focusing on the following issues: The Centre City Community Plan is the land-use guide for downtown. A community planning group comprised of residents, businesses and property owners oversees its implementation. If downtown truly is to function as a regional resource, how can broader interests be incorporated into future planning? Downtown is the hub of government and public services for the region, including city, county, state and federal offices. Should we build a new civic center? What other civic facilities should be located nearby or next to the new central library? The East Village, already home to a baseball stadium and several educational institutions, is the last major component of downtown to undergo revitalization. What other kinds of development and activities belong there? Could it include an arts district? How about the proposed new football stadium? Downtown today has thousands of full-time residents who can walk to jobs, shopping and entertainment. Do we want to encourage more residential development? If so, what kind and where? What provisions need to be made for the homeless? Successful downtowns need attractive public spaces. Today, downtown is cramped and largely missing those kinds of places. Should a new civic center include a large plaza for public gatherings? Does downtown need additional parks? For downtown to thrive, residents, workers and visitors have to be able to get in, out and about. Should transit services be expanded between downtown and outlying communities, as well as within downtown? What else can be done to reduce vehicle traffic? How can parking be better managed? Should portions of downtown become automobile-free zones?

 The waterfront is a spectacular asset, but much of the bayfront is walled off by commercial uses or separated from the rest of downtown by streets, parking lots and rail lines. North Embarcadero is the subject of legal and political wrangling between the port district and citizen groups. Should cruise ship presence be expanded and where? How best to use the Navy Broadway Complex site when the military departs? Can the proposed waterfront park become a great public gathering place? Balboa Park is a civic jewel and is sufficiently close that it needs to be included in downtown planning. Could there be an attractive boulevard linking the park and downtown, as envisioned in the Nolen Plan 100 years ago? For more than 30 years, the citys Centre City Development Corp. has controlled downtown development, funded largely by retaining a portion of property taxes from the area. Is there a need for more publicly assisted redevelopment downtown? Would planning and accountability be enhanced by folding CCDC into the citys Redevelopment Agency? Many of these topics already are the subject of debate, but they need to be examined collectively, in the context of a broader civic conversation about our vision for downtown. A group of prominent local planners, architects and others interested in these kinds of issues recently began meeting to discuss designing the future of the region, including downtown. The San Diego Foundation also has been engaged in a visioning process for the region. Ultimately, a much broader spectrum of residents, property owners and agencies needs to be involved, but perhaps these initial forays can be a catalyst to a wider discussion. It is time for the discussion to begin. _____________________________________________________________________________ Lowe is a land-use lawyer and certified urban planner who previously chaired a redevelopment commission. Stepner is a professor at the New School of Architecture and Design, and previously was the San Diego city architect.