Chula Vista’s Third Avenue is drawing attention beyond the city as South County leaders talk about housing, transit and walkable commercial districts.
In recent candidate forums across South County, local officials and candidates voiced support for higher-density housing, public transit and walkable shopping districts as ways to lower housing and transportation costs.
One proposal highlighted by Voice of San Diego would transform San Ysidro Boulevard into a walkable shopping and entertainment district modeled in part on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue.
That comparison is significant for Chula Vista. Third Avenue has spent years evolving into a more active downtown district, with restaurants, breweries, shops, services and community events concentrated in a relatively walkable area.
The discussion also comes as South County cities continue to confront the high cost of new housing. Even where local leaders support more development, construction costs can make it difficult to produce housing affordable to lower- and middle-income residents.
For Chula Vista businesses, the attention on Third Avenue reinforces the district’s role as one of South County’s most visible examples of a traditional commercial corridor being adapted for a growing city.
Source: Voice of San Diego, “South County Goes Full YIMBY,” Oct. 5, 2026.
