[quote=bearishgurl]A neighborhood just one mile from Mission Bay (SD) cannot possibly turn into a “slum.” It is likely you haven’t been to Detroit, New Orleans, the Blue Ridge Mtns or the rural midwest and southwest parts of the US. In those places you will find REAL “slums” and “sub-slums” (dwellings not even built on foundations).[/quote]

On the contrary, in addition to San Diego, I have lived in the midwest (11 yrs), two cities on the East Coast (4 yrs each), and in Los Angeles (3 yrs). I have traveled to almost every state (45 or 46 of them, I believe).

Detroit is probably somewhat comparable to Baltimore, which has MANY blocks of abandoned and boarded-up row houses, including areas within walking distance to world-class attractions and hospitals (Aquarium, Inner Harbor, Johns Hopkins).

I agree that SD’s core will not reach the levels of poverty seen in some of these cities (and Tijuana), but I am concerned they may well decline to much worse conditions than seen at present. (ie as these homes reach the 100 year mark in the 2050-2070 era, without proper maintenance).

How can this be mitigated? How can urban planners, government, etc help this not happen, but still preserve people’s property rights, etc? Does anyone think that the re-zoning process should be amended? Or is considering that too unfair to the current owners / heirs in these geographically desirable locations?