The San Diego Planning Department wants to change the system that currently funds improvements to public amenities, facing considerations about the implementation and legality of the proposed alternative.
The San Diego planning department hopes to get rid of a development impact fee system that currently funds such public amenities as parks, libraries, and streets, reports MacKenzie Elmer. Under the system, newer and more affluent neighborhoods get more improvements than their less lavish counterparts. Under the fee system, developers pay a different (often outdated) fee in each neighborhood based on the cost of the improvements and the expected amount of development.
The fees vary dramatically neighborhood to neighborhood. "The highest fees in the county are in Del Mar Mesa, $122,048 per home. They’re lowest in San Pasqual Valley, home to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, at $2,054," says Elmer. The city wants to share the development fees citywide, bringing up questions about which projects would be prioritized and whether it's legal to spend fees in a neighborhood that was collected somewhere else. The ultimate power lies with the mayor who controls the development impact fees as .01% of the annual budget.
FULL STORY: If Your Local Park Sucks, This Is Probably Why
Revealed: New Parks Master Plan for San Diego
The second most populous city in California, San Diego, wants to revolutionize its approach to planning parks and open space.
Frontlines of the Social Distancing Effort Shifts to Parks and Open Space
Too many people have been seeking normalcy on parks and on trails. This isn’t a normal time.
The State of New York City's Parks
A new report by the Center for an Urban Future signals the need for attention to the Big Apple's parks before they are beyond repair.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
