San Diego, the eighth largest city in the United States and the second largest in California is a dynamic metropolis with a population of over 1.4 million. Its robust economy, diverse population, top-tier educational institutions, unparalleled quality of life, and globally recognized location make it an ideal destination for work, living, and leisure.
San Diego offers incomparable opportunities for businesses of all sizes to thrive. From sequencing the human genome to inventing the next wave of 5G technology, San Diego has the talent and expertise to change the world. Inc. called San Diego the #2 most inventive city in the world and one of the hottest cities for startups. U.S. News & World Report thinks San Diego is the most fun place to live in the country. The creative economy, with a more than $10 billion impact, plays a crucial role in San Diego’s economy, fostering the region’s ability to engage in creative problem-solving, drive innovation, and promote an inclusive society.
Guided by its Strategic Plan, the City of San Diego is on a mission to transform from a fine city to a great one, serving its communities daily. Its vision is to ensure opportunity in every neighborhood and provide excellent service to every San Diegan. As one of the region’s largest employers, the City of San Diego is proud to have nearly 13,000 highly dedicated employees and a combined Fiscal Year 2025 operating and capital budget of approximately $5.65 billion. This commitment to transformation and community service inspires all who call San Diego home or consider it their future destination.
San Diego’s collaboration with its sister city, Tijuana, is a testament to the power of partnership. Together, they are harnessing and mobilizing design to transform the region. Situated between mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, these sister cities are positioned across the busiest land border in the Western Hemisphere, welcoming some fifty million people annually. This unique location represents a vital transit hub and global market, brimming with opportunities for innovation, transformation, activation, and imagination.
The City takes immense pride in its role as a host partner of the San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital 2024, a platform in which it has invested $3 million toward the planning and implementation of WDC 2024, including local, regional, national, and global branding and marketing, public relations, and communications to promote the binational region as a creative design, and innovation center, and a grant program for community-driven design activations and design competition for the Exchange Pavilion, branded as a partnership between the City of San Diego and World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024.
This year-long initiative not only showcases design but also fosters cross-border collaboration, advances the region’s creative economy, and elevates the profile of this binational region on the global stage. It aligns with the City’s strategic plan to support a robust local economy and creative workforce development capable of tackling the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow, helping businesses thrive with well-paying jobs, economic activity, and opportunities in every community support. With strategic investments and collective mobilization in activations like WDC 2024, San Diego is well-positioned to grow its cultural and creative influence as a hub for the global creative economy.
