The City Heights Urban Greening Plan (CHUG) addresses four topic areas: urban forestry, stormwater management, multi-modal connectivity, and parks and open space access throughout the community of City Heights. Key walking and biking streets that are commonly used for access to schools, businesses, and parks/canyons in City Heights were identified. A subset of these key streets received design concepts identifying street trees, street amenities, stormwater treatments, safe pedestrian and innovative bike facilities all providing connections to parks, open space and other community destinations. The vision, as established by the Green Team and CHUG workshop participants states, “This Urban Greening Plan will result in physical changes to City Heights that will improve air and water quality, safety, energy savings, walkability, bikeability, and enhance the social, economic and physical opportunities of the community and its residents.”

The Green Team advisory committee included the City Heights CDC, City Heights Community Planning Committee, Bike SD, San Diego Canyonlands, Hoover High School, Proyecto de Casas Saludables, Urban Corps, Scripps Health, Ocean Discovery Institute, City Heights Business Association, Azalea Recreation Council, City Heights Town Council, El Cajon Business Improvement Assocation, International Rescue Committee, City Heights Recreation Council, and San Diego Childhood Obesity Initiative. One of critical elements addressed early in the process was the identification of funding and maintenance strategies, as the reality is that to plant new trees or urban gardens in today’s funding environment, organization or individual support is needed to assume maintenance responsibilities.

The CHUG process included three workshops to understand the areas of concern and to gain input from the community. The goal of the first workshop was to understand where residents walk, bike or access transit. This feedback was used to focus plan efforts on the corridors most important to City Heights. The survey can be viewed here: . The second workshop evaluated the community corridors identified by the community and augmented by the KTUA consultant team to create a network of potential green streets in City Heights. Conceptual prototypes were created for these streets so that the 80,000 residents and businesses could see the vision for their neighborhoods and business districts. The third workshop prioritized the projects and refined the conceptual plans.