District Council Update
Tony Pauker | Chair

DiamondView Tower provided the ideal setting for ULI San Diego/Tijuana's annual Holiday Party on December 8, 2007, where over 150 guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers, socialized with colleagues and discussed what's ahead in 2008.

As we start a new year, it is important to thank all of our sponsors and volunteers that have helped to make ULI San Diego/Tijuana one of the most successful District Councils in the country - and one of the premier organizations in San Diego. In 2007, we hosted 23 organized events and many more informal Young Leader events revolving around education, networking and recognition of land use projects. We debuted the popular ULI @ Lunch series, rolled out Technical Advisory Panels, held our fifth Trends Conference and our third Smart Growth Awards, hired a full time executive director and part time coordinator and opened an office downtown. This year, we have even more programs and special events planned and this would not be possible without our sponsors. I invite you to review our sponsorship levels and consider supporting ULI in 2008 so that we can continue to provide these opportunities and more for the real estate community.

The continued support from the public and private sectors has been outstanding. And where would this organization be without the volunteers that devote time and energy to creating and promoting ULI San Diego/Tijuana? Maybe 2008 will be the year many more of you decide to become a sponsor or to share your time and talent with our District Council. We certainly welcome more participation this year!

To kick off 2008, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of John Nolen's plan for San Diego. Nolen was a landscape architect from the East Coast who prepared the first comprehensive plan for the City of San Diego. While our region and the goals of that first plan have undergone changes unimaginable a century ago, it marks the first time comprehensive planning came to our region. ULI San Diego/Tijuana, along with many other land use organizations, will have a series of events in early 2008 loosely tied to Nolen's work. As we look to this milestone, it is fitting that the City of San Diego will approve the first update to our general plan in more than 20 years, helping to guide our growth over the next few decades.

The importance of land use policy remains very central to ULI. Our region continues to evolve, and we must respond to a changing economic base, land use pattern, a dynamic population and the economic cycles that affect real estate. Making the correct long-range land use decisions, rather than reacting to short-term issues, ensures the economic health and prosperity of the region.

We look forward to seeing you in 2008 and thanks again for your continued support of ULI San Diego/Tijuana.