San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center Announces Multi-Year Partnership with The Brookings Institution. Learn More
San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center Announces Multi-Year Partnership with The Brookings Institution. Learn More
We envision a future where strong alliances have brought about a thriving and equitable region.
Our mission is to unlock the region’s potential by cultivating and building partnerships. Our niche is to address intractable issues that can only be solved with cross-sector, multi-jurisdictional collaborations.
Since launching in August 2021 as a 501(c)(3) organization, PIC has been working to break down the silos that exist in the region. We build strong working relationships among San Diego regional leaders, government agencies, municipalities, and other community stakeholders to help solve problems that extend beyond the reach of any single agency or department.
Through our Government & Agency Council and partnership with The San Diego Foundation, we bring deep, long-standing government and community relationships together to work across sectors and jurisdictions and build consensus and direction for the region. This multi-issue, multi-jurisdictional, coordinated approach is essential to transformational systems change.
Described by The Economist as “perhaps America’s most prestigious think tank” and consistently ranked as one of the top think tanks in the world, The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization that conducts high-quality, independent research, and provides forward-thinking, practical recommendations for policy makers and the public based on that research.
Through a long-term partnership between PIC and Brookings– the first-of-its-kind in the nation – Brookings provides a dedicated team of Metropolitan Policy Program scholars to work collaboratively with PIC’s researchers to use equity-centered research to identify our region’s biggest needs and opportunities for change, highlight effective policies and programs from around the country, and then lend insights on how those concepts might be implemented locally.
We are already hard at work with our regional partners developing a pipeline of potential projects and pilots that improve the lives of all San Diegans, focused on four key areas – climate resiliency, affordable housing, community wealth, and infrastructure.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’re working on:
In July 2022, PIC filed an application to the California Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) in collaboration with over 70 local entities for a $5 million planning grant that could lead to an additional $25–$50 million to support economic recovery in Imperial and San Diego Counties. Our application is under review with the State.
In partnership with our Brookings colleagues, we are conducting a parcel-by-parcel analysis of wildfire, flood, and extreme heat risks for all properties located within the City of San Diego. With this data, PIC and others can apply for federal and state adaptation grants to help prevent such occurrences – something our region previously did not always qualify for due to a lack of specific property data.
To increase housing affordability across the region, PIC is researching, recommending policy, and assisting local governments with developing principles, goals, and requirements related to affordable housing. This work includes the creation of a publicly accessible tool that identifies government-owned parcels across the County of San Diego, City of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista that may be good candidates for new affordable housing projects. See our Land Locator map!
As we look to improve the region’s climate resiliency, PIC and Brookings are working together to research the infrastructure needed to support the creation of more green jobs and offer recommendations related to workforce training and education. This will also include an analysis of which careers may have peaked, and which are poised to provide quality wages and increased opportunities in the future.
Our team has years of experience working in and with the public sector. We have strong relationships with local, state, and federal officials and a vast network of private, philanthropic, and community leaders and innovators.
Join our growing network of supporters and partners.
Health Net Community Solutions
San Diego & Imperial Small Business Development Center
David C.Copley Foundation
County of San Diego
City of San Diego
City of Carlsbad
City of Chula Vista
City of Coronado
City of Del Mar
City of El Cajon
City of Encinitas
City of Escondido
City of Imperial Beach
City of La Mesa
City of Lemon Grove
City of National City
City of Oceanside
City of Poway
City of San Marcos
City of Santee
City of Solana Beach
City of Vista
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
Port of San Diego
San Diego Airport Authority
Check out our latest activities, events, and milestones. For media inquiries, please email Ashley Bendas or Sandy Young at J. Walcher Communications, or call (619) 295-7140.
