Recently, I was invited to apply for the planning commission of Cathedral City (I had applied in the past, and they were nice enough to contact me when there were some new vacancies).
Ultimately, I decided not to apply. Basically, I think all planning departments, in all cities, are not helping their city.
Cathedral City razed its down town in 1992. It's still torn down, twenty years later, a moon-like expanse lining Highway 111. No one has come up with a plan since.
Cathedral City is discussing an issue thoroughly: marijuana.
Which is more important? Developing the core of the city around the town
center and along its major thoroughfare, or marijuana sales and
cultivation?
I'm not singling out Cathedral City. Palm Springs and Indio both have some significant land-planning problems. I'm pointing out that civic governments don't have the resources to plan ahead. Cities are machines, and people are the moving parts. Re-building and shaping cities for the future is vital, but not being addressed by current government structures.
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