Photo Credit: San Diego Regional EDC

A new Economic Development Strategy was adopted by the San Diego City Council on Tuesday, May 16th which covers a three-year period thru 2026. The City’s economic development strategy (EDS) guides the City’s economic development efforts per Council Policy 900-01 and the City’s General Plan. The EDS outlines specific strategic and tactical objectives that provide guidance to City Departments on actions and policy decisions to support the business community in the creation of new jobs, especially middle-income jobs. The EDS includes an identified mission, vision, objectives, focus areas, and performance measures to help track progress on initiatives and resources to ensure appropriate allocation and emphasis to drive additional economic value to San Diego.

The City's EDS is available for review here:  Economic Development Strategy 2023-2026

The City’s most recent EDS was adopted by City Council in December 2016, covers the period from 2017 to 2019, and includes tactics prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to budget an update in 2020 were unsuccessful given the economic climate at the time. The framework of the EDS requires an update that is reflective of the City’s priorities and changing realities as well as envisions economic recovery post-pandemic.

The framework of the EDS requires an update that is reflective of the City's priorities and changing realities as well as envisions economic recovery. The City's prior EDS was adopted by City Council in December 2016, for the period from 2017 to 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, the Economic Development Department (EDD) has transitioned to a more hands-on, proactive role by providing a dramatically increased level of direct assistance to businesses and nonprofits throughout the pandemic. The pandemic brought new and unique challenges to the City and the economy that need to be captured within a new EDS to fully support long-term recovery and future economic resiliency.

For reference, the previous Focused Economy Development Strategy is available here: Economy Development Strategy 2017-2019