"You stay classy San Diego"

The Auckland central city seems to be a tangle of streets, none of which have a special identity. There are nice pockets, such as the Chancery, but they are largely ignored, lost under shadows of towering office blocks.

What if we divided our central city up into a collection of distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own special identity?

That's what the smart people in San Diego have done.

San Diego, California.
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

San Diego is a city in Southern California. The city has a population of 1,256,951, while the entire metropolitan area has a population of 3,053,793 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009).

The downtown area has been divided up into 14 distinct neighbourhoods. Each has its own name and identity. It is marketed this way for tourists. Take a look at this map below:

Map of Downtown San Diego showing its different neighbourhoods.
Home Reach Real Estate (2009)

Dividing the CBD up into separate neighbourhoods makes the CBD more user friendly and interesting. A tourist could shop in the Horton Plaza, and then walk up to Little Italy for dinner.

The Gaslamp quarter is marketed as San Diego's historical heart. It hosts the more 'alternative,' 'creative' scene. The council has cleverly decorated each neighbourhood to make it obvious to pedestrians what part of the city that they are in.

Street lamp marketing for the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego.
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego.
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego.
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego.
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

Gaslamp Quarter welcoming sign, San Diego.
The New San Diego (2009)

The Little Italy neighbourhood even has a giant illuminated gate welcoming diners. This has created a gateway to an exciting little precinct of Italian restaurants.

Little Italy sign, San Diego
Mitchell, S. C. (Author) (2011)

Auckland could do the same with its central city. The University could be marketed as the "academic quarter," while High Street could be marked as our "creative quarter." Maybe upper Queen Street could make a good China Town?

Of course, some areas would have to be cleaned up first.  Myers Park, in its current state would make a good "Druggie Town," while K Rd would suit the name "Hookersville."

The title of this post was taken from  a quote in the 2004 film "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," which was set in San Diego.

San Diego population data: UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU. 2009. San Diego County Quick Facts [Online]. Available: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06073.html [Accessed 14/04/2011].


San Diego map: HOME REACH REAL ESTATE. 2009. Downtown San Diego Map [Online]. Available: http://homereach.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/downtownmap.jpg [Accessed 14/04/2011].


Gaslamp Quarter sign: THE NEW SAN DIEGO. 2011. San Diego Condos for Sale [Online]. Available: http://www.thenewsandiego.com/tag/san-diego-condos-for-sale/ [Accessed 14/04/2011].