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Big things are happening in San Diego’s future — we’re literally growing. The end of the decade is only eight years away, and life will look different (but just as sunny) then. We’ve got plenty of time to start + finish projects, but don’t expect flying cars — just a lot of electric cars.
We really don’t need a crystal ball to see into the future; all of these developments are public information. With so many exciting projects underway, these are some of the biggest changes we expect by 2030.
🌆 Skyline
- Seaport Village + the Embarcadero will be redesigned as part of the $3.5 billion 1HWY1 project, hoping to break ground in 2025. The space will include a new urban beach, a living shoreline, hotels and convention space + a new observation tower that will change our city’s skyline.
- The East Village Quarter project will aim to overhaul the area surrounding Petco Park into a residential + hospitality hub with food, shopping, and parks. The $1.5 billion project will redesign Tailgate Park which is currently owned by the Padres and used for parking + special events.
🎟️ Entertainment
- Snapdragon Stadium will be home to the San Diego State University Aztecs football team when it opens in fall 2022. The 35,000-seat arena will also be home to San Diego Legion rugby games + our new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team, San Diego Wave FC.
- There will be renovations at the landmark Botanical Building in Balboa Park, which will add a welcome center and restore the building + landscape to keep plants growing. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by spring or summer 2023.
🚘 Travel
- Construction on the San Diego International Airport’s New T1 project has already taken off, with an anticipated end date of 2028. This will bring travelers more food, shopping, parking + 30 new gates.
- The city has made strides toward improving bikeability, and there are many projects spanning through 2050 — two of the biggest being the North Park-Mid-City Bikeways + Uptown Bikeways. These projects alone will add 25 miles of bike paths and have construction planned through 2026. 🚲
- With a shift to electric cars, expect to see more charging stations + technology. The City of San Diego has drafted a Climate Action Plan with a timeline extending to 2035 that pushes for greater adoption of electric vehicles to support cleaner air.
- We’ll drive faster and in less traffic. North Coast Corridor’s Highway Improvement project continues to open HOV lanes in small stretches. We just saw 9 miles open last month between Carlsbad + Solana Beach as part of Phase 2 — it ends in 2030, then Phase 3 begins in 2031.
- The Mission Bay Bridge Replacement is expected to be completed this year, including wider lanes, bike paths + sidewalks for safe travel, and of course, easier access to SeaWorld.
🏘️ Housing
- Homes will continue to look different as “Homes for All of Us” incentivizes the construction of affordable multi-family houses + accessory dwelling units. This may change the look of our city, as buildings like 525 Olive have been permitted to exceed height limits due to its inclusion of affordable units.
