The administration of Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz, working through the Municipal Planning Institute (IMPLAN), recently hosted a working session with officials from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to advance the 2026–2040 Metropolitan Strategic Plan. The meeting underscored the long-term value of the framework and the city’s commitment to seeing it through.
IMPLAN Director Juan Diego Mascareño López welcomed the collaborative exchange of ideas and proposals, noting that the effort is designed to strengthen key binational initiatives that are part of the 15-year plan.
“When Mayor Ismael Burgueño took office, his directive was clear: he wanted every plan, program, and regulatory tool governing urban development and land management brought up to date and we have already completed that work,” Mascareño López said. “The only remaining piece we are actively developing, precisely because of its historic scope, is this Metropolitan Strategic Plan. It will be the sole framework submitted for formal approval before both City Hall and the State Congress.”
Mascareño López noted that the 2026–2040 plan is organized around five core pillars: environmental, urban, economic, social, and governance. Each section features a wide range of initiatives designed by subject-matter experts to ensure technical feasibility ahead of public outreach and community input.
He also emphasized the need to build consensus and establish strong mechanisms for coordination around a shared regional and metropolitan vision.
SANDAG Chief Executive Officer Mario Orso echoed the importance of the partnership, expressing strong interest in aligning SANDAG’s own San Diego County projects with Tijuana’s Metropolitan Strategic Plan.
He added that their priorities are focused on cross-border mobility, port-of-entry infrastructure, public transit, coordination, and environmental sustainability.
Aram Hodoyan Navarro, president of the Tijuana Economic Development Council (CDT), thanked the invitation and praised the initiative, recognizing the importance of working together for the development of the region.
“It is encouraging to see us working together, moving in the same direction, and growing as a unified region,” he said. “We haven’t seen this level of alignment before, and we are grateful for the vision behind it.”
Also participating in the session were the municipal planning directors of Playas de Rosarito and Tecate, Lorena Branks and Alejandro Ruiz García, alongside representatives from SANDAG, CDT, and IMPLAN.
