CONNECT with the CityHow We’re Planning for Equity
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The City Planning Department is committed to advancing social equity as a foundational principle in the way that we plan our City and engage community members in our many diverse neighborhoods. We acknowledge the effect of historical planning decisions on traditionally underserved communities and community members who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), and we are dedicated to developing equitable and anti-racist policies that provide access to opportunity and investments in the communities where the needs are the greatest.
Learn more below about our planning initiatives that prioritize resources, access and protections for traditionally underserved communities in San Diego.
Environmental Justice Incompatible Uses Study
This study will evaluate the environmental and economic effects of potential requirements to discontinue previously-conforming incompatible uses that operate on residentially-zoned properties in Environmental Justice Communities within specified distances of various sensitive receptors, such as homes, schools and hospitals.
Equity Forward: Inclusive Public Engagement Guide
Coordinating closely with other City Departments, the City Planning Department is creating a framework to assure inclusive community participation on City plans, policies and projects, particularly for people who have historically experienced barriers to public participation. The Inclusive Public Engagement Guide will serve as the foundation for a meaningful public engagement program that provides guidelines for how City decisions consider input from community members representative of the population’s demographics, so that these decisions ultimately improve San Diegans’ quality of life.
Climate Equity
Climate equity allows everyone to fairly share the same benefits and burdens from climate solutions and attain full and equal access to opportunities regardless of one’s background and identity.
Equity Forward: Infrastructure Prioritization & Public Engagement
City staff and partner organizations engage with community members across the city on a regular basis through surveys, workshops and other engagements to identify infrastructure needs on a community and neighborhood level. Input received through the public engagement process helps to guide the annual Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget and the Five-Year Capital Infrastructure Planning Outlook, which are the City’s road map for public infrastructure investment.
Build Better SD
Build Better SD is a citywide initiative to support the City of San Diego’s equity, access, conservation and sustainability goals. This initiative sets clear policies intended to create more opportunities for innovative, culturally relevant and interactive public spaces. Investments are prioritized in areas where the needs are greatest, which will result in delivering infrastructure faster across the City.
Equity Forward: Environmental Justice Element
Environmental Justice means ensuring people of all races, cultures and incomes are equally and equitably valued, protected and served by laws, regulations and policies that impact the environment around us, including those about buildings and uses of land, transportation, parks and natural spaces, the urban landscape and City services. The Planning Department is working with community members to identify neighborhoods disproportionately affected by environmental justice concerns and to develop Environmental Justice goals, policies and objectives. Once drafted, the Environmental Justice goals, policies and objectives will be incorporated into the City of San Diego General Plan.
Prioritizing Infrastructure Projects – Council Policy Updates
New council policy updates will guide equitable infrastructure project prioritization and improve engagement with communities to gather information about infrastructure needs in the City. Council Policy 000-32 is being updated to ensure the public has multiple opportunities to share their input regarding infrastructure needs. Council Policy 800-14 will be updated to better determine infrastructure project prioritization based on where the infrastructure is most needed and can serve the most people.
Parks Master Plan
The Parks Master Plan identifies policies, actions and partnerships for planning parks, recreation facilities and programs that reflect the vision of a world-class Citywide network of recreational experiences to engage, inspire and connect all San Diegans. Equity is a central value of the City’s Parks Master Plan. Park planning and investments should address long-standing inequities in the City’s parks system experienced by people that live in traditionally underserved communities and areas with the greatest park deficiencies – areas of the City where we know that the greatest needs exist – by ensuring equal access to meaningful recreational opportunities.-