Back in the late 1960s, when I was a young Marine on liberty in downtown San Diego, I was confronted on the street by hawkers selling everything from cheap jewelry to Bibles. Between the tiny stores offering these irresistible trinkets were seedy bars, adult bookstores, tattoo parlors and porno houses. Bums and prostitutes were ubiquitous on darkened corners and in the narrow crevices between the dilapidated old buildings. Back then, downtown offered a tawdry and dreary existence for denizens and visitors alike.

In recent years, following the vanguard of Ernie Hahn's Horton Plaza, private developers and the city of San Diego have been shepherded by the Centre City Development Corp. to transform the city into an exciting destination for people from all corners of the world. Many of the old buildings have been beautifully restored, and wondrous architecture has been incorporated into a new convention center, hotels and residential structures. The city is a fabulous venue for entertainment events, athletic activities and conventions. Yes, we're even getting a new baseball park downtown, like it or not. The result is a marked improvement in our citizens' quality of life.

The transformation downtown is an indication that things can get done, eventually. While this kind of transformation can be a source of optimism about redevelopment, many people don't recognize the amount of time and energy required to effect the change. Developers must find funding, deal with environmental issues, put together a design team, design the project, deal with regulatory agencies and build the project. The same holds true for construction of new housing in suburban areas. It all takes an incredible amount of time and effort, which brings us to the point of this piece.

It's one thing to chant the mantra of affordable housing, but it's another to continuously create ordinances and policies that inhibit the process. Our leaders should be finding ways to expedite permitting and entitlement procedures on land that is already designated for development.

Keep in mind: San Diego is a city, a habitat for humans. While it is important to preserve habitat for other creatures, cities are where people live.

Submitted by Michael S. Chapin, president and CEO of Geocon Inc.