Our Issues

We amplify and accelerate our partners’ work and catalyze action through three pathways to address the most persistent challenges facing the San Diego region:

Community Initiated. We are creating a platform for San Diegans to provide insight and expertise on how to solve community issues.

Partner Initiated. We collaborate with organizations to advance each other’s shared goals and objectives—each shaped by a community-informed perspective.

BCCA Initiated. We’re taking the long view. What is the future of our binational region twenty, thirty, or more years into our future? What do we need to be a thriving global city?

Early Priorities

Balboa Park

Balboa Park stands at an important juncture. This regional gem has an estimated $300-500 million in deferred maintenance, with no plan to fund or fix it. In the coming years, up to $1 billion may be needed if we truly want a world-class Balboa Park. 

In response to this pressing need, BCCA convened Balboa Park stakeholders and conducted a national scan of governance and finance structures of other major parks.

In November 2022, we released Preparing Balboa Park for its Next 100 Years, a comprehensive report offering a range of actionable recommendations. This report synthesized existing research, stakeholder input, and an analysis of governance and financial models from other renowned parks across the country.

Since then, BCCA has collaborated with a multi-sector consortium of stakeholders and experts to move several steps closer to sustainable solutions for the Park.

In July 2024, we published the Balboa Park Community Progress Report, an update highlighting tangible actions taken and milestones met since our initial report, and outlining further actions to achieve the Park’s long-term sustainability.

Our updated report lays out a vision for improved park governance, management, and finance, recognizing the many different functions the park serves within our community, and the equally varied requirements for maximizing the value of each of those community assets.

Central to these efforts is our dedicated Balboa Park Working Group, a passionate team committed to preserving this cultural treasure for future generations. We continue to work with these dedicated people and organizations on the next steps outlined in our updated report.

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Cross-Border Region

The San Diego-Tijuana border is a vibrant hub where cultures, ideas, and industries converge, shaping the region’s identity, driving economic growth, and enriching our shared cultural fabric. From trade partnerships to familial ties, this cross-border connection is vital to our region’s diversity and vibrancy.

In 2024, BCCA partnered with the Institute for the Americas to publish the Seizing CaliBaja Nearshoring Opportunities report, featuring interactive maps that showcase key sectors—biotech, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and medical devices—while highlighting the region’s talent, innovation, and collaborative potential. A second publication, Assessing Generic and Biosimilar Manufacturing in North America, explored opportunities for essential medicine production in Baja California and its connection to San Diego.

BCCA also proudly sponsored and supported the inaugural San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival, a three-day, cross-border celebration that united communities through music and underscored the power of collaboration in creating shared experiences.

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World Design Capital

The San Diego-Tijuana region's unique spirit and the transformative power of design were on full display during the extraordinary celebration of World Design Capital 2024. As the first cross-border region to hold this title, we proudly showcased our community, fostered creativity, and inspired collaboration. The Burnham Center for Community Advancement was honored to partner with the Design Forward Alliance, the UC San Diego Design Lab, and the cities of San Diego and Tijuana to make this year unforgettable.

From our successful bid to the World Design Organization for the World Design Capital designation, to the official kick-off at the WDC Signing Ceremony, and continuing with the breathtaking collaboration between the San Diego Youth Symphony and Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana, our region celebrated unity and innovation. Tijuana Design Week and San Diego Design Week captivated audiences with hundreds of events, while the opening of the EXCHANGE Pavilion in Balboa Park symbolized the essence of our interconnected community.

The year concluded with signature events that underscored our global impact. The World Design Policy Conference fostered design-led solutions, the World Design Network of Cities Meeting strengthened global connections, and the World Design Convocation Ceremony celebrated our legacy while passing the title to Frankfurt RheinMain 2026.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating design’s power to transform lives and build stronger communities. For more highlights and a look back at this incredible journey, visit wdc2024.org.

Opportunity and Prosperity

Almost 30% of San Diego’s children live in economic distress, and the prosperity gap within the region is obvious and unacceptable. Let’s talk about how we can do better, and then act to improve the lives of all our fellow San Diegans—regardless of geography, race, or ethnicity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused the loss of more than 100,000 jobs in San Diego County, nearly half of which come from the leisure and hospitality sector . Too many families and individuals have exhausted their savings and are on the brink of disaster.
Our regional economy needs to look different now. With our partners, we’ll help organize to inspire employers and training institutions to focus on high growth, high wage industries in San Diego and create incubators to support entrepreneurs and innovators.

Housing Affordability

San Diego’s housing market has never felt so out of control. The median price of a home in San Diego County is twice the national average. More than half of renters in San Diego County are considered overburdened by their housing costs, spending more than 30% of their income on housing. When housing costs are high, our workforce suffers; people have less money to spend on other necessities. It’s time to bring housing advocates, developers, and city planners together with those impacted by this crisis. Let’s listen to each other and develop common sense guidelines to ensure every San Diegan can actually live in San Diego.

Rebuilding Community

All across our nation, we have become a polarized people —losing community connections across ideologies, ethnicities, and even within neighborhoods. We will seek to organize a local coalition of those committed to rebuilding a sense of community that can heal and take our region forward, together.