Knowledge To Action #1: Building Up the Urban Core with Suchi Lukes

The Finest City

Welcome to The Finest City’s Knowledge to Action Series, where we interview movers and shakers covering six areas of land planning in our region: the urban core, mesas, valleys and canyons, San Diego Bay, the binational border, coastline and wetlands, and the backcountry. In this episode, host Jen Whitelaw speaks with urban planner Suchi Lukes who also spearheads C-3’s Urban Core Knowledge Action Network. Suchi talks about her commitment to bringing together local thought leaders from planning, design, community development, and more to address San Diego’s distinctive and pressing land use challenges.

Timestamps:

[2:45] We often identify housing as the major challenge for the urban core, but Temporary Paradise called for the revitalization of commercial corridors as a way to anchor redevelopment. Suchi talks about the nexus between bringing back our historic main streets and building up stock in the urban core.

[5:05] Suchi discusses Euclidean zoning, where you have your residential center in one area, and how this creates more flexibility in our developmental regulations.

[6:05] One key challenge in the urban core is the availability of land.

[8:47] What part should our urban core play as we try to develop climate resistance?

[11:05] Our urban areas are pretty key in helping address climate change and shaping livability.

[12:06] How do we reconcile established character and preservation in some cases, with new development?

[18:07] Suchi discusses the Community Land Trust Model.

[19:55] There is still much inequity in our park spaces that we need to address.

[22:44] We have to have a holistic vision of how lower-income and minority folks can have a full quality of life and it can’t just be done through planners. It has to be multiple sectors coming together, including community members, to make sure everyone has a voice and is able to advocate for their own needs.

[23:26] How can people get more involved?

About C-3

In its 60 years of existence, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) has brought together local thought leaders from planning, design, policy, academia, community development, and more to address our region’s distinctive and pressing land use challenges. In founding C-3 almost 60 years ago, architect Lloyd Ruocco’s vision was to bring together our region’s most creative minds from the arts, sciences, academia, and government to share ideas, learn new perspectives, and build fellowship around the idea of creating livable communities.

Opportunities for Advocacy and Engagement:

C3sandiego.org

Temporary Paradise

Suchi Lukes