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SAN DIEGO · CALIFORNIA · THE NATION · THE WORLD
San Diego runs on a strong-mayor system with a nine-member City Council. Here is who holds which powers, how the system came to be, and where city hall ends and the county begins.
Read the storySANDAG is the regional agency behind the San Diego region's long-range transportation plan, the TransNet sales tax and the toll roads. Here is how it is governed and why its decisions reach beyond any one city.
The region's main airport has one runway, an overnight departure curfew and an independent governing authority. Here is how those pieces fit together, and what the new Terminal 1 changes.
The Port of San Diego is a state-created district that oversees 34 miles of bayfront across five cities, from cargo and cruise terminals to parks, hotels and its own police force.
A five-member elected board, a superintendent it hires and a budget shaped by state formulas: here is how San Diego's largest school district makes decisions, and how families can be heard.
Volunteer planning groups review local building projects and advise the city. Here is how they are recognized, how members are chosen, and where their advice ends and the city's decision begins.
Backyard cottages, garage conversions and junior units have become one of San Diego's main tools for adding housing. A plain-language guide to the state floor, the city's rules and where to check before building.
IN FOCUS / SAN DIEGO
Fire is a recurring risk in San Diego County's canyons and backcountry. A practical guide to defensible space, the new Zone 0 rules, evacuation alerts and what to do when an order comes.
Read the storyOUR EDITORIAL LENS
Local life comes first. California and national context matter. World stories earn their place.
