Bob Leiter is a retired urban planner, whose career in city and regional planning in California has spanned over 40 years.  Bob holds a BA in political science and MA in economics from UC Santa Barbara. His work in city planning started in 1975 and included serving as planning director for the cities of Ventura, Escondido, San Rafael and Chula Vista.  In 2003, he was appointed as Director of Land Use and Transportation Planning for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). While serving in that position from 2003 to 2009, Bob was responsible for overseeing regional planning activities in the areas of transportation, land use, public facilities, environmental management, and interregional and bi-national collaboration.

After retiring from SANDAG in 2009, Bob provided consulting assistance to several regional and state planning agencies, focused largely on the implementation of Senate Bill 375, California’s pioneering climate change legislation.  Bob also consulted on regional water quality planning issues, working with the San Diego Unified Port District, Western Riverside Council of Governments, and the City of Chula Vista. In 2016, he assisted the UC San Diego Planning Department with the update of its Long-Range Development Plan for the La Jolla campus. For several years Bob also served as an adjunct lecturer, teaching undergraduate courses in UC San Diego’s Urban Studies and Planning Program as well as UCSD Extension.

Bob was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2008 and was a long-time board member of the American Planning Association’s Regional and Intergovernmental Planning Division, as well as its Division Council.  Since his retirement, Bob has stayed involved in volunteer activities with the American Planning Association; STAY COOL for Grandkids; California Center for the Arts, Escondido; San Diego Audubon Society, and other organizations.