Who Makes a City Green? San Diego’s History of Grassroots Activism

What does it take to build a greener city? In 2024, Historian Andrew Wiese traced six decades of environmental activism in San Diego, from early battles to protect open space and endangered species to the environmental justice movement and the grassroots campaigns that saved urban canyons. In his article, San Diego, A Green(er) City: Six Decades of Environmental Activism in a Biodiversity Hotspot, he shows how scientists, neighborhood advocates, and conservation organizations helped shape the region’s landmark habitat protections—and why the fight for a greener, more equitable city is far from over. For those working to protect San Diego’s urban canyons today, this history offers both inspiration and a reminder of the power of persistent, community-led action.