Politics & Government
VOSD Podcast: San Diego Is ‘Rising'
VOSD Podcast hosts shared their takes on Mayor Todd Gloria's speech and his administration's approach to our city's most pressing needs.
January 13, 2023
As previewed in last week’s episode, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria had his opportunity this week to lay out his plan for the city — to explain where we stand and where we’re going in his annual State of the City address.
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After attending the live event on Wednesday night, VOSD Podcast hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña shared their takes on Gloria’s speech and his administration’s approach to our city’s most pressing needs. (See our Morning Report write-up of the speech here.)
Gloria discussed the importance of law enforcement, the deadly rise of fentanyl, our urgent need for affordable housing, homelessness(!), parks and infrastructure.
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In this episode, our hosts scrutinize each major topic.
Among the ambitions outlined in the SOTC was the redevelopment of City Hall.
Built in the 1960s, it’s as outdated as “Bewitched” but with less visual appeal. Gloria alluded to the mega-project that would transform several downtown city blocks and the city’s most valued properties.
But our hosts smell a San Diego Special brewing.
“San Diego Special” — a term coined by Gloria before he was mayor — is roughly defined as a prolonged civic problem San Diego leaders can’t fix but other cities can. Think vacation rentals, the Convention Center expansion, a trolley to the airport, Sports Arena, things like that. Last year, Gloria joined the pod to discuss Specials with us.
In the final segment of the show, Lewis, Keatts and Lopez-Villafaña draft a checklist to determine whether the City Hall redevelopment is on its way to becoming a San Diego Special. (Spoiler: Yes it is.)
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