Bob Kelly, President and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, presented Our Greater San Diego Vision initiative to “Speak Out Coronado,” the city’s monthly town hall meeting, to residents on Dec. 14 at the Coronado Library.
“This is an unprecedented civic engagement process to engage residents to come up with a shared vision and action plan for the future of this region,” explained Kelly. “Everyone loves living here but change is coming and that change will affect our children and grandchildren, which is why we need to come up with a plan to tackle issues like housing affordability and education.”
Now through mid-January residents have an opportunity to plan for this region’s future. They can weigh in on personal priorities, hopes, and concerns for San Diego, and become part of a collective vision and action plan for the future at www.ShowYourLoveSD.org.
“In the next 40 years, San Diego’s population will grow by 40 percent. Two-thirds of that will be our children and grandchildren. It’s projected we will need 400,000 more homes and 500,000 new jobs by 2050 to support the growth,” said Kelly. “If we don’t come up with a plan now, San Diego could look like Detroit 40 years from now.”
Our Greater San Diego Vision allows people to share their priorities and preferences for the future in four modules Work, Live, Learn, and Enjoy.
Residents can make choices, like whether to have high-rise, low-rise, mid-rise or mixed-use developments in various neighborhoods.
Other choices include favoring roadways, bikeways, transit lines or walkable neighborhoods.
Residents can also weigh in on the amenities they may need to provide for tomorrow close-by open space, remote access to cultural performances, or a network of community “hearts” of arts and culture.
During the presentation, building a South Bay University in Chula Vista came up and it’s one of the visualizations shown in the public choosing survey. Other visual scenarios include University Heights, Mission Valley, Oceanside and Ramona.
Kelly explained the vision and action plan will be updated every three to five years depending on the projected needs of the region through The Foundation’s Center of Civic Engagement.
The San Diego Foundation, who is championing the initiative, along with close to 150 ambassadors and nearly 200 partners are encouraging residents to contribute in shaping the region’s future now through mid-January at www.ShowYourLoveSD.org.
“We need to come up with a plan to help us better prepare for the future so our own children and grandchildren are able to live and work in San Diego,” said Kelly. “Tell your friends and family to participate in Our Greater San Diego Vision.”
