Sustainable Development
According to the Brundtland Report, sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This section will focus on the planning aspects of San Diego and how the city doing its part to make sure that more sustainable for future generations. [5]
There have been a lot of policies that have shaped the way that San Diego has been shaped. Below is a quick timeline that shows some of the policies that have helped San Diego become more sustainable in its infrastructure. CP 900‐14 is voluntary and incentive base, the only mandatory measure is a LEED Silver rating for all new construction of city-owned buildings over 5,000 square feet. [2]
Timeline
1997- CP 900‐14 “Green Building Policy”
2000- “Community Energy Partnership,” (repealed in 2001)
2001- CP 900‐14 (update) “Sustainable Buildings Expedite Program”
2001- CP 900‐18 “Purchase of Energy Efficient Products”
2004- CP 900‐16 “Construction and Demolition Material Recycling”
2002- CMR 02‐060 which requires City projects to achieve the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED silver standard for all new buildings and major renovations over 5,000 square feet
2003- CP 900‐14 (update) reflecting CMR 02‐060
*A revision of CP 900‐14 was attempted in 2009, but has not yet been successful. [2]
2000- “Community Energy Partnership,” (repealed in 2001)
2001- CP 900‐14 (update) “Sustainable Buildings Expedite Program”
2001- CP 900‐18 “Purchase of Energy Efficient Products”
2004- CP 900‐16 “Construction and Demolition Material Recycling”
2002- CMR 02‐060 which requires City projects to achieve the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED silver standard for all new buildings and major renovations over 5,000 square feet
2003- CP 900‐14 (update) reflecting CMR 02‐060
*A revision of CP 900‐14 was attempted in 2009, but has not yet been successful. [2]
New General Plan
San Diego’s General Plan was updated in 2008 by the city council and is pretty much the constitution in regards to development.
The new update is to provide:
· Guidance to balance the needs of the growing city meanwhile also enhancing the quality of life of current and future residents.
· A strategy, the City of Villages, for enhancing communities and neighborhoods for growth
The New General Plan builds on the previous goals from the 1979 General Plan yet it addresses new issues that are facing the city, which are:
· A lack of vacant developable land for future growth
· Unmet public facilities standards
· Changing economic base
· Environmental challenges
The new update is to provide:
· Guidance to balance the needs of the growing city meanwhile also enhancing the quality of life of current and future residents.
· A strategy, the City of Villages, for enhancing communities and neighborhoods for growth
The New General Plan builds on the previous goals from the 1979 General Plan yet it addresses new issues that are facing the city, which are:
· A lack of vacant developable land for future growth
· Unmet public facilities standards
· Changing economic base
· Environmental challenges
The General Plan follows 10 basic core values that guide the city’s development:
1. An open space network formed by parks, canyons, river valleys, habitats, beaches, and ocean;
2. Diverse residential communities formed by the open space network;
3. Compact and walkable mixed-use villages of different scales within communities;
4. Employment centers for a strong economy;
5. An integrated regional transportation network of walkways, bikeways, transit, roadways,
and freeways that efficiently link communities and villages to each other and to
employment centers;
6. High quality, affordable, and well-maintained public facilities to serve the City’s
population, workers, and visitors;
7. Historic districts and sites that respect our heritage;
8. Balanced communities that offer opportunities for all San Diegans and share citywide
responsibilities;
9. A clean and sustainable environment; and
10. A high aesthetic standard.
2. Diverse residential communities formed by the open space network;
3. Compact and walkable mixed-use villages of different scales within communities;
4. Employment centers for a strong economy;
5. An integrated regional transportation network of walkways, bikeways, transit, roadways,
and freeways that efficiently link communities and villages to each other and to
employment centers;
6. High quality, affordable, and well-maintained public facilities to serve the City’s
population, workers, and visitors;
7. Historic districts and sites that respect our heritage;
8. Balanced communities that offer opportunities for all San Diegans and share citywide
responsibilities;
9. A clean and sustainable environment; and
10. A high aesthetic standard.
The City of Villages
The City of Villages a conservation strategy used by the city, which would be compact areas, using the urban land efficiently to reduce the need to develop surrounding areas. The villages would be the heart of the community, where there would be residential, commercial, employment and civil uses and each village will be unique to that certain community. The ‘villages’ would create an area where transit, walking and biking are more efficient ways of transportation rather than automobile travel. Switching the dependence of automobiles, in turn, would lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of the surrounding resources in the area like air and water.
Mobility
City efforts to enhance mobility in an environmentally sustainable manner include:
Pedestrian Master Plan
Bicycle Master Plan
Corridor Mobility Studies
Community Parking District Program
Traffic Signal Synchronization
Pedestrian Master Plan
- It is made to identify the needs of pedestrians and find solutions at a neighborhood level with input from the community
Bicycle Master Plan
- For the development and maintenance of bicycle facilities all throughout the city
Corridor Mobility Studies
- Due to a need for streets that will serve various users (pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and motorist)
- A way to get recommendations for multiuse improvement and other suggestions
Community Parking District Program
- Help manage parking and promote community and economic development
- Help find solutions for parking problems
- 45% of the revenue of parking meters is allocated to parking districts
Traffic Signal Synchronization
- Help reduce congestion
- Improve peak travel times and air quality
- Avoid costs and environmental impacts of road widening and construction [4]
Climate Change
Climate Change
When the levels of greenhouse gas emissions and global temperatures rise, it affects rainfall and snow patterns, and a rise in sea level that, in turn, could impact San Diego in terms of water and energy availability and since San Diego is near the ocean, coastal flooding could also be an issue. Not to mention how with the increase in temperature, there could also be human health effects caused by the air pollution and heat stress.
San Diego’s Climate Change Goals
To reduce the city’s overall carbon footprint by:
Improving energy efficiency
To be a city that is an international model of sustainable development and conservation
When the levels of greenhouse gas emissions and global temperatures rise, it affects rainfall and snow patterns, and a rise in sea level that, in turn, could impact San Diego in terms of water and energy availability and since San Diego is near the ocean, coastal flooding could also be an issue. Not to mention how with the increase in temperature, there could also be human health effects caused by the air pollution and heat stress.
San Diego’s Climate Change Goals
To reduce the city’s overall carbon footprint by:
Improving energy efficiency
- Increasing alternates methods of transportation
- Utilizing sustainable planning and design techniques
- Providing environmentally friendly waste techniques
To be a city that is an international model of sustainable development and conservation
Open Space and Landform Preservation
The goal is to make preserve and be able to maintain and manage the natural landforms and open spaces that make San Diego unique for a long-term period of time. Open space is defined as land or water areas that are undeveloped, usually they are free from development or some are developed in low-intensity uses that will not affect the area’s natural environmental characteristics. Open space is usually used for passive park and recreation, conservation of land, water, or other natural biological resources, historic or scenic purposes, visual relief or landform preservation.
Coastal Resources
The goal is to continue preserving and enhancing the coastal resources, having clean water by improving the quality of the ocean outfall discharges, and to improve public access to the shoreline and coast. Due to its location, San Diego offers many coastal resources that help with the local economy since it provides opportunities for tourism, recreation, and marine related industry.
Some of the more popular coastal areas are:
Some of the more popular coastal areas are:
- San Diego Bay
- Pacific Ocean Offshore Area
- Mission Bay
- Coastal Lagoons
- And many Fishing is usually done in San Diego Harbor and Mission Bay
Water Resources Management
San Diego’s water supply is due to the ability to import and store water from the Colorado River and Northern California, yet water is limited especially since the population is increasing with every passing year.
The goals for water management are:
The goals for water management are:
- To have an effective long term management of water resources so that the demand will balance the supply, to have efficient and sustainable supplies.
- To have safe and adequate water supply that meets the standard of current and future populations
Biological Diversity
The goal of Biological Diversity is to preserve healthy, biologically diverse regional ecosystems and conservation of endangered, threatened and key sensitive species and their habitats. This is crucial especially since humans are creating a “biodiversity deficit” since they destroy ecosystems faster than nature can create new ones, which leads to a lot of species extinction.
The Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) preserves and manages sensitive species at an ecosystem level. Its purpose is to preserve a network of habitat and open space. The program is designed to preserve native vegetation to meet the needs of multiples species instead of focusing on just one. It accommodates future growth and expansion by taking care of the current ecosystems.
The MSCP:
Preserves San Diego's unique, native habitats and wildlife for future generations.
1. Works across political boundaries in a unique regional conservation effort.
2. Protects watersheds and water quality.
3. Streamlines the permitting process for development projects.
Ensures compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act, state Endangered Species Act, and state Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act. [3]
Preserves San Diego's unique, native habitats and wildlife for future generations.
1. Works across political boundaries in a unique regional conservation effort.
2. Protects watersheds and water quality.
3. Streamlines the permitting process for development projects.
Ensures compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act, state Endangered Species Act, and state Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act. [3]
For more information on the policies on any of sections please see the San Diego General Plan, Conservation Element
Other Resources:
Other Resources:
NOTES:
[1] San Diego (California). City of San Diego General Plan: Introduction, Strategic Framework, and Conservation Element
[2] Committee on the Environment. American Institute of Architects. San Diego Chapter. SUSTAINABLE CITIES: A COLLECTION OF CASE STUDIES. January 2010
[3] http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/mscp/
[4] http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/genplan/pdf/sustainablebrochurefinal.pdf
[5] LeGates, R.T., & Stout, F. (Eds.). (2011). The city reader (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
[1] San Diego (California). City of San Diego General Plan: Introduction, Strategic Framework, and Conservation Element
[2] Committee on the Environment. American Institute of Architects. San Diego Chapter. SUSTAINABLE CITIES: A COLLECTION OF CASE STUDIES. January 2010
[3] http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/mscp/
[4] http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/genplan/pdf/sustainablebrochurefinal.pdf
[5] LeGates, R.T., & Stout, F. (Eds.). (2011). The city reader (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.