 I’ll be hosting and moderating a public forum Tuesday on the changing face of San Diego as part of our “Wonks Unite!” series. Join me in learning about and discussing the interesting ways in which San Diego is transforming in size, ethnicity, politics and more. |
Date: Tuesday, April 19
Time: 8:00-9:30 a.m.
Place: 2508 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego, in Point Loma in the San Diego Foundation building. Map
Cost: Free
Parking: Free and plentiful
RSVPs not needed
Our panelists will include:
- Adrian Florido, neighborhoods reporter for voiceofsandiego.org. Adrian has been writing about the complex racial and ethnic changes in San Diego:
The 2010 Census results are more than just numbers. Behind the dizzying jumble of figures about population shifts and the growth of San Diego’s Latino community are the street-level stories of how our neighborhoods are changing. You can see those changes in our communities’ storefronts, in our churches and on residential streets across San Diego. Those shifts sometimes mean greater political influence for emerging communities (like Latinos and Asians) and diminishing influence for shrinking communities (like African-Americans) — but not always.
At the very least, the numbers confirm that San Diego is a city of ever-increasing diversity. Understanding that diversity is important for politicians, developers and community planners who are setting out priorities for the way San Diego will continue to grow and evolve.
I’ll talk about how some of the trends I’ve noticed from walking San Diego’s neighborhoods. About how these changes are manifesting themselves on the ground, in the everyday lives of San Diegans. And about the ways that people in influential posts — like the redistricting commission — will have to take these changes under consideration as they prepare to redraw the city’s political boundaries.
- Sarah Hudson, demographer for San Diego Unified School District’s Instructional Facilities Planning Department, will talk about the composition of San Diego’s student body.
- Keegan Kyle, voiceofsandiego.org’s data journalist takes numbers and makes sense of them with explanatory charts and graphs. Kyle’s focus:
The census provides a wealth of data about life in San Diego, but it can sometimes be a maze to access and understand. In my presentation, I’ll show a few ways that people can start digging into the data, search for trends in their neighborhoods and answer some basic but crucial questions. I’ll also talk briefly about defining race and ethnicity, population projections and what information the census will release next.
- Midori Wong, chief of staff of the 2010 Redistricting Commission, which is charged with redrawing voting districts to account for the latest Census numbers. Midori’s focus is previewed by Anisha Dalal, chairperson of the 2010 Redistricting Commission of the City of San Diego, in an op-ed.
After each census, the city charter calls for an independent redistricting commission to be created. The commission redraws boundaries so that districts are as evenly matched in population as practicable and follow the requirements of our nation’s governing documents. … So that all citizens of the city have fair and effective representation, we need to know what makes residents feel connected to one another. We need to hear about the key features and activities that people value about their surroundings. Is neighborhood the place where they eat and shop, where their kids go to school, the surrounding parks, where they gather to worship, celebrate or play? Is the community defined by special events or landmarks?
Grant Barrett, engagement editor for voiceofsandiego.org: grant@voiceofsandiego.org or (619) 550-5666 or @grantbarrett on Twitter.