With 1 million people expected to call San Diego, Calif., home over the next two decades, local county officials believe developers need to plan early so that enough housing is available to accommodate demand.
Tony Pauker, Urban Land Institute of San Diego/Tijuana chairman, says multifamily, high-density infill construction will account for many of these new units; single-family homes will make up only 30 percent of dwellings built this year.
"Within a decade, new single-family home developments will be the rare exception as we adopt development models more judicious of our precious land resources," Pauker says. County planners say developers should focus their efforts on erecting affordable housing near jobs and public transit.
"Well-planned compact growth can help provide more housing, while saving the region from the urban sprawl that has overrun and gridlocked other major metro areas," says Garry Bonelli of the San Diego Association of Governments.
