City of San Diego, Economic Development Department

On June 6, 2016, San Diego Promise Zone (SDPZ) became one of 22 federally designated Promise Zones in the United States and one of only four in California. SDPZ covers a 6.4-square-mile targeted area that spans Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Encanto, Southeastern and parts of Downtown (East Village). It’s home to some of City’s most culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighborhoods but also some of the City’s most disadvantaged and underserved communities.

Through this federal place-based initiative, the City’s Economic Development Department unites federal government partners with local private- and public-sector organizations to streamline resources across agencies, deliver comprehensive support, accelerate SDPZ revitalization and improve the quality of life for more than 85,000 residents.

Much of the first two years of the SDPZ designation was devoted to doing outreach, discovering the community, identifying and engaging SDPZ Partner organizations and planning. Six goal areas have been identified to provide structure and align organizational capacity toward creating programs and activities that can yield impactful results. Partners join the SDPZ effort through participation in SDPZ Working Groups, each dedicated to a goal area.