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Why San Diego Needs a Citywide Historic Survey
July/August 2025
For years, SOHO and our preservation allies have advocated for a comprehensive, citywide historic resources survey—an essential tool for responsible planning and development. Inspired by the mostly successful SurveyLA, this initiative would bring much-needed certainty, consistency, and clarity to all parties: homeowners, preservationists, city staff, and developers.
This is not just a preservation issue. It’s good planning 101.
 Restored in 2011 by Sandor Shapery, the South Park Commercial Center features distinctive architectural elements that retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association. Together, these buildings reflect the neighborhood’s growth and the rise of commercial enterprises that served the needs of its community. Photo by Sandé Lollis |
With a completed citywide survey in hand, San Diego could finally reduce the endless, self-inflicted cycle of unnecessary conflict over historic demolitions; eliminate last-minute crises; and better identify where smart infill and adaptive reuse projects can occur without undermining the city’s cultural heritage. It would give communities a framework they could genuinely support and defend, and do so with transparency and fairness.
Unfortunately, the City of San Diego continues to prioritize speed and developer convenience over thoughtful planning. The current fast-tracking of development, with no meaningful cost or responsibility placed on developers, has led to what we call “fast-food planning." The city gets to pretend it’s addressing the housing crisis, even as the vast majority of new projects are luxury and market-rate rentals, not affordable housing, and certainly not the kind of homeownership opportunities that build equity and community stability and generational wealth—in short, the American dream.
This approach leaves historic communities vulnerable and unprotected, while undermining public trust.
What Needs to Happen
- A Comprehensive Citywide Survey
The city must undertake and complete a thorough survey of historic resources, not piece-meal studies. This includes identifying potential historic districts and individual resources across all neighborhoods.
- Enact Interim Protections
Until the survey is complete, the city must uphold and strengthen existing safeguards, including the review process for buildings over 45 years old. Weakening or eliminating this review process before a survey is done would allow irreplaceable historic buildings to be lost without review or accountability.
- Streamline Designations
The results of the survey would and must lead to timely processing of district and individual landmark nominations.
SOHO is not opposed to development. In fact, we often work with developers, and these collaborations frequently lead to positive outcomes—for the resource, the community, and the developers themselves. What we oppose is thoughtless, inequitable, and destructive development that prioritizes short-term gain over long-term value.
A full citywide survey, paired with enforceable protections and a clear framework, creates a planning environment where everyone can operate with certainty.
It is long past time for the city to stop making empty promises and start implementing the tools that will ensure that San Diego’s future is built with respect for its past.
Make sure your voice is heard by elected officials. If you’ve already contacted them, continue making comments on the City of San Diego’s Preservation and Progress Initiative via the portal.
Thank you for supporting a citywide historic resources survey!
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