How and When: Greater International Prominence (San Diego, San Jose: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[ucctgg]

I'll take nice beaches and affordable housing over "international prominence" any day.

[sdhkshdcny09]

Originally Posted by ucctgg

I'll take nice beaches and affordable housing over "international prominence" any day.

Well we don't have any of these as it currently stands.


As a native, I truly believe that San Diego is an amazing place to live. The problem with San Diegans (i.e. transplants) is that they come here and treat the city like a holy land simply because it has nice weather and good mexican food.

When are people going to wake up and realize that there is more to quality of living than sunny skies? We need to improve urban infrastructure and the built environment!!

- World class waterfront
- Actual transit (and transit oriented development patterns)
- Improved regional planning
- Integration with the Tijuana metro
- Alternative transport: bike & sidewalk infrastructure improvements
- Upzoning for increased density
- Locally sourced food/ urban agriculture
- Affordable housing
- Lower parking requirements
- Dedicated bus lanes
- Road/street diets & pocket parks
- Road maintenance
- Improve Balboa Park (and quality of other city parks)


This city has so much potential, but everyone is preoccupied with the awesome weather and carne asada fries.

[L-Costa]

What San Diego needs is more prominent companies in technology and life sciences sectors where it already has established presence and as result thousands of new well paid jobs . When I say well paid I mean 100K+ per year. We need new Life Technologies, new Illumina, and more successful Qualcomm spin offs. When this will happen the region will have more money to pay for such wonderful luxury things as world class waterfront, parks and well maintained roads.

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by L-Costa

What San Diego needs is more prominent companies in technology and life sciences sectors where it already has established presence and as result thousands of new well paid jobs . When I say well paid I mean 100K+ per year. We need new Life Technologies, new Illumina, and more successful Qualcomm spin offs. When this will happen the region will have more money to pay for such wonderful luxury things as world class waterfront, parks and well maintained roads.

It all relates to expansion which just doesn't happen in SD. Qualcomm is a SD success story, but nobody really knows who they are outside the area and they haven't spun off other success stories. Silicon Valley is what it is because most of the companies spun off other success stories which spun off other success stories and so on. And those companies all created new jobs, new neighborhoods, new schools, new offices, new restaurants, new malls, new this and that and so on.

SD seems to have more of the "3 person" company who wishes to sell out and shut down. That doesn't create anything except for a few people getting rich who were already rich to begin with. When a Qualcomm spins off a 5000 person company who spins off other 500-1000 person companies, that's when economies change.

[LuvSouthOC]

I am curious to know who would be paying for that subsidized, I mean, affordable housing. Oh wait, according to this Bill, the costs for the subsidized housing will be passed on to real estate transactions thereby forcing sellers/buyers and businesses to pay for subsidized housing. Wow, it's practically free!

Bill seeks to ease California's affordability housing crisis - Los Angeles Times

[ColeUSA]

Originally Posted by rhanifin

Well we don't have any of these as it currently stands.


As a native, I truly believe that San Diego is an amazing place to live. The problem with San Diegans (i.e. transplants) is that they come here and treat the city like a holy land simply because it has nice weather and good mexican food.

When are people going to wake up and realize that there is more to quality of living than sunny skies? We need to improve urban infrastructure and the built environment!!

- World class waterfront
- Actual transit (and transit oriented development patterns)
- Improved regional planning
- Integration with the Tijuana metro
- Alternative transport: bike & sidewalk infrastructure improvements
- Upzoning for increased density
- Locally sourced food/ urban agriculture
- Affordable housing
- Lower parking requirements
- Dedicated bus lanes
- Road/street diets & pocket parks
- Road maintenance
- Improve Balboa Park (and quality of other city parks)


This city has so much potential, but everyone is preoccupied with the awesome weather and carne asada fries.

I believe it is essential the city develop in a similar manner! Improvements to the waterfront are already in the works, the city has a solid chance to enhance the areas' appeal. As for bus lanes, they've made a start on the interstate network but a gradual transition to the urban villages level is another good start.

Everything else requires a stronger and vocal presence by members of the city council, perhaps one that opens a dialogue with the city to facilitate the growth of a unique, advanced, and environmentally sustainable presence on a global stage.

Originally Posted by L-Costa

What San Diego needs is more prominent companies in technology and life sciences sectors where it already has established presence and as result thousands of new well paid jobs . When I say well paid I mean 100K+ per year. We need new Life Technologies, new Illumina, and more successful Qualcomm spin offs. When this will happen the region will have more money to pay for such wonderful luxury things as world class waterfront, parks and well maintained roads.

Another excellent and valid point! The presence of such companies would bring a great positive influence to the city's overall standing.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by L-Costa

What San Diego needs is more prominent companies in technology and life sciences sectors where it already has established presence and as result thousands of new well paid jobs . When I say well paid I mean 100K+ per year. We need new Life Technologies, new Illumina, and more successful Qualcomm spin offs. When this will happen the region will have more money to pay for such wonderful luxury things as world class waterfront, parks and well maintained roads.

Until there are jobs and a growing tax base there is no money for luxury amenities like well repaired infrastructure and high quality schools, welcome to the 21st century

Why would a city with no historical connection to trade and commerce choose to invest in heavy industrial industries like a port? Is any US city doing this or even able to do this?

San Diego follows the Boston / Denver / Seattle template which is predicated on higher ed, tech, and lifestyle. The biggest thing holding back SD is oppressive cost of living and doing business in CA.

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

Until there are jobs and a growing tax base there is no money for luxury amenities like well repaired infrastructure and high quality schools, welcome to the 21st century

Why would a city with no historical connection to trade and commerce choose to invest in heavy industrial industries like a port? Is any US city doing this or even able to do this?

San Diego follows the Boston / Denver / Seattle template which is predicated on higher ed, tech, and lifestyle. The biggest thing holding back SD is oppressive cost of living and doing business in CA.

Seattle and Boston both generate billions of dollars in revenue from their ports and Seattle is predicated on the Puget Sound, which includes the ports of Seattle & Tacoma, ferry system, etc. Boston is planning on dredging the boston harbor for bigger and more ships.

So yeah Boston & Seattle might love to push technology, education, etc, but they still rely on billions in revenue because of their ports and they continue to plan on spending millions to improve those ports.

[sdhkshdcny09]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

I am curious to know who would be paying for that subsidized, I mean, affordable housing. Oh wait, according to this Bill, the costs for the subsidized housing will be passed on to real estate transactions thereby forcing sellers/buyers and businesses to pay for subsidized housing. Wow, it's practically free!

Bill seeks to ease California's affordability housing crisis - Los Angeles Times

Drop the condescending tone. Most of us are educated enough to understand that nothing is free. However, there are ways of providing affordable housing without making it unaffordable for everyone else. One being FAR, height or # of units bonuses for projects that include affordable housing. You could also lessen parking requirements w/ the condition that more affordable units are built. Or maybe just take advantage of federal/state tax incentives.

I find it VERY ironic that you have a problem with subsidizing affordable housing when the largest subsidy in our country is home mortgages, with the very purpose of creating access to affordable housing *purchases* for everyone. Seems pretty hypocritical, but I guess subsidies are only okay if you as an individual benefit.


Sorry, but I prefer San Diego not become a city of slums & mansions like those in Central/South America (or closer to home...LA).

[sd-bound]

Originally Posted by rhanifin

Drop the condescending tone. Most of us are educated enough to understand that nothing is free. However, there are ways of providing affordable housing without making it unaffordable for everyone else. One being FAR, height or # of units bonuses for projects that include affordable housing. You could also lessen parking requirements w/ the condition that more affordable units are built. Or maybe just take advantage of federal/state tax incentives.

I find it VERY ironic that you have a problem with subsidizing affordable housing when the largest subsidy in our country is home mortgages, with the very purpose of creating access to affordable housing *purchases* for everyone. Seems pretty hypocritical, but I guess subsidies are only okay if you as an individual benefit.


Sorry, but I prefer San Diego not become a city of slums & mansions like those in Central/South America (or closer to home...LA).

Well said and I couldn't agree more.

I’m in Portland now but we'll be moving to San Diego in less than two years and they have a similar system here that works very well. While every downtown has upscale areas, it's one of the major reasons our downtown doesn't have slums.

It's amazing to me that so many people ignore corporate welfare given to companies making record profits, yet have an issue providing subsidies to those who might actually need it.