Urban Regions : Ecology and Planning Beyond the City

Urban-region planning 49

Dulzura

Jamul

Loveland

Reservoir

El Capitan

Reservoir

National

City

Tijuana

San Diego

MEXICO

Ocean

Beach

La Jolla

Carlsbad

Escondido

Ramona

Major green patches

(Biological core areas)

Major green corridors

(Biological linkages)

Regional boundary

CALIFORNIA

PA

CIFIC OCEAN

Miles

Kilometers

05

08

N

Point

Loma

Imperial

Beach

Del

Mar

Figure 2.3Major patch-and-corridor system of natural vegetation (emerald network)

in plan for the San Diego Region, California. Adapted fromThe New York Times,

February 16, 1997, page 1.

evidence that regional levels of such environmental dimensions would not be
degraded by a proposed major project would be a tangible measurable manifes-
tation of a sustainable urban region.
Hierarchical, economic, and political problems are familiar constraints on
aregional approach to planning (Formanet al.2004). Hierarchically, an urban
region commonly lies within a broader state or province or nation, while a host
of local political/administrative units such as towns or counties lie within the
region. Land-use issues are routinely handled both at the broader state and nar-
rower local levels (Babbitt2005), but not at the urban-region level where many
keyproblems needing solution emerge. Also, both states and local units often
have strong governments with taxing and budgetary authority, as well as politi-
cal leaders who are likely to have been appointed or elected with public support.