San Diego's famed urban planner — leaving so soon?

San Diego's planning director, Bill Fulton, has resigned, effective August 30. Fulton was brought in by ex-mayor Bob Filner in June of last year to head the planning department, which had been dismantled by former mayor Jerry Sanders.

Fulton has had a distinguished career. His book Guide to California Planning is considered the Bible of state smart-growth planning and went into its fourth edition in 2012.

Fulton is a former mayor of Ventura and has written 40 opinion pieces for the Los Angeles Times. He will become director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.