The San Diego Foundation today kicked off an “unprecedented public engagement” to plan for the future of San Diego.
The project is called Our Greater San Diego Vision. It was announced on the San Diego State campus as 50 kids from the South Bay YMCA looked on. A boy named Stephen was one of them, and he colored a picture of what he wants San Diego to be in the future.
“It's a picture of the beach,” he said. “I drew me, flying a kite, with a couple of birds in the sky and the sun shining brightly, because I really enjoy the beach and I hope it stays the same.”
What should stay the same and what should change is what the vision project is trying to find out. It begins this summer with research into future options for education, housing, transportation and jobs. Within a year they expect to create a comprehensive vision developed by thousands of local residents.
Chairman Bill Geppert said the goal is progress... and showing political leaders what citizens really want.
“So in other words we bring the voice and the views of San Diegans to the table and say, ‘They want progress. They want improvement. They want these things to happen,’ ” said Geppert.
San Diego is expected to grow by 40 percent in the next 40 years. Leaders of Our Greater San Diego Vision said that would require many things, including the creation of 500,000 new jobs.
