By Michael Stepner and Mary Lydon / Op-Ed San Diego U-T / February 27, 2026
Every city has its own DNA. San Diego’s foundational DNA includes the establishment in the early 1920s of what is now Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. Additional foundational DNA includes the founding of the University of California San Diego, with roots back to 1912, and 1,400 acres that was set aside for a public park in 1868.
Now, San Diego has the largest military concentration in the world, UC San Diego is one of the top public universities in the country, and Balboa Park is our region’s center for art and culture. Over the years, the foundational DNA has spawned a thriving high-tech and biotech business sector, an integrated binational economic and cultural dynamic with Tijuana, and a top-ranking tourism sector. These are not small-minded accomplishments.
In a recent San Diego Union-Tribune Econometer article, 12 economists and executives were asked: “Do San Diego County planners have too much of a ‘small town’ mindset?” While the question targeted the planners in the county as a culprit, that is not the case. Plans and visions for our cities are a product of the community — from the community planning groups and politicians to the business and university leaders. As several members of the Econometer panel noted, the professional planners create plans to carry out the visions of the community.
Neil Morgan, the iconic and award-winning journalist, author and editor, wrote for The San Diego Union-Tribune and its predecessors — the Tribune and the Evening Tribune — for 42 years. When writing about major planning, development and political issues in our region, he would continually ask, “What do we want to be when we grow up?”
We are not Los Angeles or San Francisco, nor do we want to be. They have their own DNA. We are uniquely San Diego and have manifested remarkable plans over the years to become ourselves.
The redevelopment of downtown San Diego is a great success story. Centre City Development Corp. was established in 1975 to help catalyze redevelopment of downtown San Diego, which had become blighted physically, economically and socially. It has taken 50 years to create the world class downtown that we enjoy today.
Another success includes being good stewards of our natural environment. This includes the 52-mile San Diego River Park in Mission Valley, and the preservation of canyons, beach and bay parks. These are a big part of our neighborhoods. Adding a regional Trolley system was another good move. All of these are works in progress and need to be continually cultivated for their ongoing success.
Our community is a composite of the very different needs and desires of all who call San Diego home. Many times the decisions we make do not turn out as planned and we must make fixes. This has been true over time from the building of the first mission in 1769.
Infrastructure funding deficits, affordable housing shortages and our unwillingness to pay for the services and facilities we need are all shortfalls we need to continually work on.
Trust, leadership, YIMBYs and NIMBYs, and the community at large all play roles.
We develop regional, city and neighborhood plans — they are our vision for the future. Today’s visions revolve around sustainability of the planet, an economy that provides equal opportunity for all and a rules-based system that we all agree to operate within.
We must all work together to make the visions happen. We need to shoot for the stars of the future. We may never achieve the full vision, but we get a lot further by shooting for it.
2026 is the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the second city of San Diego Comprehensive Plan by renowned national planner John Nolen. At a public meeting, one of the presenters was Will Rogers, a resident and legendary actor from the 1930s. He testified while twirling a lasso. He told the crowd, “Now that you have a plan by Nolen, don’t let anyone stand in the way of making it happen.”
We should all be proud to claim that San Diego did not let anyone get in our way.
Stepner is former city of San Diego architect and lives in San Diego. Lydon is principal at Lydon Associates. She lives in San Diego.
“We develop regional, city and neighborhood plans — they are our vision for the future.”. Well, from what I’ve seen, the City of San Diego ‘s recent brand is to ignore virtually every Community Plan or Community Planning Group decision. Or promoted a rival Community Planning Group stacked with sycophants to rubber stamp the City’s latest agenda. What Michael describes was what we once had, before this current band of idealogues got into office. It’s not too late to clean house.
This statement is the biggest problem we have: “It has taken 50 years to create the world class downtown that we enjoy today.”
If you think San Diego has a world class downtown, you’ve obviously not visited cities like Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo. We need to aim higher and expect more from our city leaders.
When you get a chance take a look at Banhofstrasse in Zurich and compare it to C Street. Both have a light rail running through it. Same width, same distance but night and day different. One world class, the other, frankly a joke.