A Smarter City: San Diego
Posted By Sam Ollinger on September 9, 2009
The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) reviewed cities across the nation and named 15 “Smarter Cities” in small, medium, and large city categories. They looked at the following criteria:
- air quality
- green building
- standard of living
- environmental standards and participation
- transportation
- recycling
- green space
- energy production and conservation
- water quality
The mission in creating this list was to “foster a little friendly competition … as well as provide a forum for exploring the progress American cities are making in environmental stewardship and sustainable growth.”The cities were then given scores based on a specific set of criteria.
San Diego was listed at #11. San Diego scored low on air quality, energy production and conservation, and standard of living beating New York City listed at #12.
Below is an excerpt on how San Diego is attempting in turning itself a Smarter City:
A major component of the city’s smart growth strategy is the redevelopment of downtown San Diego, which is served extensively by transit and since 1975 has seen nearly $438 million of new public infrastructure and 14,800 new homes (2,650 of which are price-restricted). In 2008, the city incorporated the City of Villages smart-growth strategy into its updated General Plan to increase density near transit centers and to preserve open spaces. Although the Pilot Village program—an attempt to create sustainable communities linked by transit within the city—has been met with funding and organizational challenges, the program is continuing and has shown two successful examples of infill development: the Village Center at Euclid and Market, which is at the intersection of four neighborhoods and on a trolley and transit station, and the North Park Pilot Village, a revival of a historic section of downtown with high-frequency bus transit.
While the Village Center at Euclid and Market is accessible by public transit, it is located on an island of its own. There isn’t much mixed use development between the Village Center and the downtown Gaslamp district. The housing development located near the center is incomplete giving the entire area a somewhat desolate appearance. The focal point at the Center is the automobile with much space devoted to a gigantic parking lot.
Rather than using smart growth strategies to create urban oases that aren’t well connected, perhaps the city could create these oases more organically, encouraging mixed use development in all corridors that connect these smart growth centers. Perhaps our officials need a copy of Jane Jacobs’ The Life and Death of Great American Cities in order to undersand and appreciate what exactly makes a city really smart.
San Diego’s government talks a good talk, but they are so deep in the pockets of the developers that this city is a long, long way from a “green” utopia. This whole “save water” campaign is the latest BS promoted by a city hall that continues to cater to developers and urban sprawl, the most significant drain on the region’s water resources.
Also, is it just me, or is the Bicycle Master Plan just an attempt to appease the city’s cyclists with pretty promises while nothing worthwhile is actually accomplished? They spend tons of money “studying” and making pretty maps, but there is still no bike lane between downtown and uptown. I don’t get it. I don’t feel like the city is really committed to changing anything other than their bank account balances.
It is really irritating to me too how much “studying” is being done. That just translates into “sitting on our asses and not doing anything.” One study I read said that the main deterrent to possible bike commuters are the lack of bike facilities: bike paths, bike lanes, bike parking, etc. How much more freakin’ studies does there need to be? People want to bike, build something and they will bike.
Ooooh the water thing really gets on my nerves. No matter what level the water emergency gets to, including level 4 drought emergency condition, golf course greens will continue to get watered. WTF? This is an emergency situation, and we’re worried about golf?