Revisit of Knowledge To Action: Building Up the Urban Core with Suchi Lukes
Release Date: 08/04/2023
San Diego’s Innovative Fisherman’s Market Bringing Local, Sustainable Seafood — Pete Halmay, Tuna Harbor Dockside Market and San Diego Fisherman’s Working Group
The Finest City
This episode features Pete Halmay, President of San Diego Fisherman’s Working Group and one of the founders of the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. With over 50 years of commercial fishing experience, Pete shares fascinating insights into the challenges of creating a fisherman’s market, the diverse array of seafood available, and the cultural significance of maintaining a working fishing harbor in San Diego. He discusses the fluctuations in sea life over time, the importance of water quality, and how the market has become a window into the life of local fishermen. Pete also touches on the...
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Blue Technologies and Why San Diego Should be the Blue Finance Capital of the World
The Finest City
This episode features Greg Murphy from Fugro, a world leader in providing geo-data consulting through mapping, modeling, and monitoring information about our planet and the structures built upon it. Greg is also Vice Chair on the Board at the San Diego Maritime Museum. In the conversation, Greg talks about the innovative future of blue technologies, the importance of ocean sustainability, and San Diego's potential as a blue finance capital. He discusses the concept of blue carbon, the Port of San Diego’s proactive approach to sea level rise, and exciting developments in the local blue tech...
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Weaving San Diego Maritime History Into The Modern World — Dr. Ray Ashley, Maritime Museum San Diego
The Finest City
This week focuses on San Diego’s maritime heritage with Dr. Ray Ashley from the Maritime Museum of San Diego. As President and CEO, Dr. Ashley leads one of the most prominent institutions on San Diego Bay, recognized as one of the top three maritime museums globally. It includes one of the finest collections of historic vessels, including the oldest active ship, Star of India. In his talk with Jen, Dr. Ashley explains how the museum integrates San Diego’s maritime past into the present day, highlighting both the economic and cultural contributions of the local maritime industry and the...
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Educating Youth and Creating Intersections in Ocean Science — Janaira Quigley, Executive Director of Ocean Connectors
The Finest City
In this episode, Jen welcomes Janaira Quigley, Executive Director of Ocean Connectors, a conservation non-profit program that connects youth with coastal wildlife. In their chat, Janaira talks about the mission of Ocean Connectors and how the San Diego Bay factors into their programs. She touches on the program’s teaching topics, habitat restoration work around San Diego, and the knowledge exchange program with students in Mexico, highlighting why it’s important for cultivating environmental stewardship. Janaira provides some easy and affordable action items for getting involved with Ocean...
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Protecting the Bay’s Environment and Promoting Sustainable Freight Solutions — Sharon Cloward, President of the San Diego Working Waterfront
The Finest City
In this episode, Jen welcomes Sharon Cloward, President of San Diego Working Waterfront. Sharon first talks about the San Diego Bay's geography and jurisdictions before getting more into sustainable freight solutions and protecting the San Diego Bay's environmental and economic value. She then discusses the San Diego port master plan and environmental policies. Sharon also talks about Operation Clean Sweep and its important advocacy efforts that aim to support responsible growth, environmental stewardship, and economic vitality of the Bay. Timestamps: [2:07] What is the San Diego...
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A Multi-Pronged Approach to Engaging the Public Towards Advocacy and Shaping San Diego — Jen Whitelaw, PR Professional and former C-3 President
The Finest City
In this episode, Kate sat down with our very own Jen Whitelaw, PR professional and former C-3 President. Jen first shares her career path from English studies to public relations and urban planning. She discusses a few of her favorite tools for reaching the public about important topics like density and sustainability through her work with organizations like C-3. Jen highlights some successful strategies for engaging diverse audiences, emphasizing the power of the public to influence how our city gets shaped. She explains why it’s so important to engage the public and younger generations in...
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Aligning Creative Vision and Community, Redevelopment, and the Future of Local Advocacy Organizations — Branding Professional, Simon Andrews
The Finest City
This episode features Simon Andrews, neighborhood branding professional and former C-3 board member. Simon shares his personal journey from Detroit to San Diego in the 1960s and discusses his career helping to shape the identity of neighborhoods through signage and design. Simon also offers his insight into downtown redevelopment and its impact, the rise of sustainable community planning since the early 2000s, and his involvement over many years with civic groups such as C-3. He and Jennifer also talk about how community planning groups can help empower local voices and reincorporate the...
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Communicating Environmental Health Risks and Cultivating the Next Generation of Border Leaders — School of Public Health at SDSU, Paula Stigler Granados
The Finest City
This episode features Paula Stigler Granados, Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University. Paula first discusses environmental health impacts along the San Diego-Tijuana border region and insights from her recent white paper on the public health crisis caused by Tijuana River contamination. She then explores the challenges of managing growth while addressing aging infrastructure and transborder environmental issues, highlighting the need to better communicate risk and learn from past environmental trauma. Timestamps: [2:32] Paula’s thoughts on the...
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Growth Management, Urban Planning and Affordable Housing — Professor Emeritus in City Planning at San Diego State University, Nico Calavita
The Finest City
This episode features Nico Calavita, Professor Emeritus of City Planning at San Diego State University. He shares his insightful perspective on the past, present, and future of urban planning and creating affordable and inclusive housing. Nico first shares his background growing up in Italy and his journey to San Diego. He goes into detail on the history of growth management and the city’s Housing Trust Fund and inclusionary housing policy. Nico and Kate reflect on San Diego’s successes in passing the measures, along with the challenges to balance new housing growth with neighborhood...
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A Collaborative Approach to Ensure a Family-Friendly, Safe, and Clean Imperial Beach — Imperial Beach Mayor, Paloma Aguirre
The Finest City
Jen welcomes Imperial Beach Mayor, Paloma Aguirre. Mayor Aguirre earned a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD and spent 10 years working for Wildcoast. She talks about her advocacy in the fight against sewage pollution and towards building a better present and future for Imperial Beach residents. Mayor Aguirre talks about the current environmental issues facing the city and the efforts to upgrade wastewater treatment plants. She also highlights the city’s priorities around housing, homelessness, and supporting...
info_outlineThe first Knowledge to Action episode with urban planner Suchi Lukes in July of 2022 had so much good information to share that we think the episode is worth a revisit. Host Jen Whitelaw speaks with Suchi, 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:
[2:19] 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.
[5:00] Suchi discusses Euclidean zoning, where you have your residential center in one area, and how this creates more flexibility in our developmental regulations.
[6:02] One key challenge in the urban core is the availability of land.
[8:42] What part should our urban core play as we try to develop climate resistance?
[11:01] Our urban areas are pretty key in helping address climate change and shaping livability.
[11:59] 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: