Institute
for Regional Studies of the CaliforniasInstitute
for Regional Studies of the CaliforniasDue to slightly different land use categories in San Diego and Tijuana, some adjustments were made to produce Map 2. For example, the different categories used for parks and open space in San Diego were combined to coincide with the single classification used in Tijuana.
The existing land use map represents conditions for 1998 and clearly illustrates the dramatic difference in development intensity on each side of the international boundary. Almost half of the 49,500 acres (20,040 hectares) within the International Border Planning Area is not developed. Most of the vacant land is located on the U.S. side and is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This land, which is unavailable for urban development, is located on the eastern portion of the study area around Otay Mountain. In late 1999, a significant portion of this federal land was designated as the federally protected Otay Mountain Wilderness Area and is protected by the federal government of the United States. Another significant area of vacant land is in the lower Tijuana Valley in the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and is also not available for urban development.
Residential uses represent one-fifth of the International Border Planning Area. The majority of residentially developed land is on the Mexican side of the boundary, representing approximately ten times the amount of residential land in the U.S. portion of the planning area. The public facilities land use category is equally distributed on both sides of the international boundary. Brown Field and the Ream Field Imperial Beach Naval Air Station north of the border and the Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport to the south make up the largest part of the public facilities category.
Playas de Tijuana developed as a residential area with complementary commercial, services, and public facilities land uses. Low density residential areas were established adjacent to Playas de Tijuana in order to utilize the infrastructure and services available in Playas de Tijuana. The Zona Centro, which includes part of the Zona Río, is largely commercial and provides services for surrounding residential areas and the entire city. The Mesa de Otay portion of the International Border Planning Area was developed to provide public services and industrial and residential sites for the benefit of urban Tijuana. Mesa de Otay is the location of the Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport and numerous educational institutions, including the Autonomous University of Baja California and the Technological Institute of Tijuana. Mesa de Otay is also the largest industrial area of the city with numerous industrial parks and maquiladoras. Since the Mexican government owned much of the land on Mesa de Otay, many irregular settlements were relocated from other areas of the city to residential areas in this zone. For example, some people displaced from the irregular settlements adjacent to the Tijuana River by the redevelopment of that area in the early 1980s were relocated to Mesa de Otay. In recent years, this area has experienced the growth of commercial areas and public facilities to meet the needs of the surrounding residential and industrial areas.
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| San Diego International Center industrial and warehouse development on Otay Mesa. 2000. |
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| Maquiladora on Mesa de Otay. 2000. |
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| Autonomous University of Baja California on Mesa de Otay. 2000. |
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| Manufacturing and transportation facilities and housing on Mesa de Otay. 2000. |
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| Zona Río with the Plaza Río Tijuana shopping center, Tijuana's Cultural Center, and office bulidings along Paseo de los Héroes. 2000. |
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