PANDEMIC OFFERS SAN DIEGO A CHANCE TO BE STRONGER

With municipal revenues in free fall and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still escalating, San Diego’s new mayor and newly constituted City Council face daunting challenges — crafting a viable budget and restoring operation of the public sector while assisting resurgence of the private sector. The local economy will struggle for some time, especially in the hospitality and entertainment industries, but it has strong fundamentals overall and will recover. While the current situation seems perilous, it presents opportunities to make positive, long-term changes in the ways government and business operate.

Many employees, especially office workers and including much of the city workforce, have been working from home. Employers have seen productivity remain high and likely will keep a substantial number of employees working remotely. Consequently, offices will need less space, fewer conference rooms and less parking. Similarly, closure of many shops, restaurants and other businesses leaves yet more empty space and unused parking.

We need a rapid assessment of how those spaces can be converted to other uses. Housing should get priority. Converting office and commercial space to living units typically will be far more efficient than building new structures, thus enabling development of more affordable housing. And surplus parking lots could be sites for new residential buildings. Those added residential units will provide customers to restaurants, bars and convenience stores within walking distance. The city must act quickly to facilitate this transition by amending zoning codes, modifying parking requirements and accelerating permit processing.

Remaining office and commercial spaces will require physical modifications to ensure the safety of workers, visitors and customers. Unless the state immediately mandates standards, the city must establish uniform requirements for configuration of work spaces, frequency of cleaning and upgrading ventilation systems.

Stay-at-home orders have resulted in vastly increased online shopping. If that trend continues — notwithstanding subsidence of the pandemic — more stores will close, freeing additional space for reuse. More online shopping will mean more deliveries, especially to residences. The city needs to plan for the impacts on traffic, especially accommodating frequent shortterm street parking.

More people working from home has reduced vehicle use while increasing pedestrian and bicycle traffic. To allow proper distancing and ensure public safety, public streets will require modification, such as wider sidewalks, more bicycle lanes and conversion of some streets to pedestrian promenades.

Transit use has plummeted and is likely to remain low for a while due to concerns over maintaining distancing and sanitation. City government should work with the Metropolitan Transit System and other transit agencies to modify their vehicles and facilities for enhanced rider safety and thereby restore public confidence. This is vital to achieving the goals of the city’s Climate Action Plan. At the same time, ride-hailing and eventually use of autonomous vehicles will divert some people from transit. The city needs to plan for the traffic impacts of those changes.

San Diego relies heavily on social, recreational and cultural facilities to serve both residents and visitors. Those facilities are important to the city’s economy and ambience, but most have been closed during the pandemic. As they reopen, the city should consider how it can bolster such operations, while also enforcing rules governing occupancy limits, separation of patrons and sanitizing facilities.

This crisis has underscored the importance of certain groups of workers, especially those involved in health care, food sales, sanitation and deliveries. Most are among the lower-paid professions. Notwithstanding the city’s recent minimum wage increase, a further increase should be considered for such workers, along with a mandate for better health benefits. The pandemic also has shown the need for childcare services to aid working parents. The city must coordinate with other jurisdictions in supporting this industry regionally.

While the quarantine has impeded citizen participation in city government, the switch to online meetings has enabled many to attend and participate virtually who would not have time to attend in person. As in-person meetings return, the city should improve the experience for those attending online, facilitating interaction with city officials and staff. Clear rules will be needed governing social distancing, wearing masks and other health measures at public hearings. Absentee voting allowed strong participation in recent elections. The city should work with the county Registrar of Voters to move toward all-mail city elections.

Learning as we go, the city must anticipate and plan for needed changes. Preparation for future crises should be addressed in the city’s General Plan. As financial aid arrives and revenues increase, those funds must be applied to priorities highlighted by such planning. Our plans especially must address the health and economic needs of hard-hit lower-income and minority communities. Doing all those things will enable us to emerge from this pandemic stronger.

Lowe