SAN DIEGO—In part 1 of our look at the Future Forum Town Hall event here last week, GlobeSt.com spoke exclusively with Downtown San Diego Partnership's president and CEO Kris Michell, DTSP's Caroline Stevens and tech start-up Zeeto's president and CEO Stephan Goss—hosts of the event—about what tech start-ups need from San Diego business in order to succeed and remain here. In part 2, we spoke exclusively with fellow speaker San Diego Congressman Scott Peters about what types of legislation will help tech start-ups gain ground in the market.

GlobeSt.com: What can be done legislation-wise to help start-ups succeed in San Diego?

Peters: I think San Diego is in competition for talent. We're never going to be the lowest cost per square foot to do business, so we have to rely on our brain power. What's going to attract people to this area, from a legislative perspective, is a strong and robust tech economy. There are a few prominent parts of our technology. First, Qualcomm is the largest private employer here. Second, in the area of biotech, there are some things we should be doing on that, including investing in the National Institutes of Health. We should also be fixing the immigration system to make sure that when talent is needed from outside the country, we can bring them in. We want to reward investors for their inventions and make sure that we can repeal the medical-device tax. All of that would keep tech work here.

From a state perspective, we need to continue to invest in the university system. From a local perspective, we need to keep San Diego a great place to live. We have great weather and beaches, we're a triathlon training mecca, and there are a lot of reasons why young people want to live here. One thing we do need is a 21^st-Century transportation system. Other successful cities have congestion, but they also have choices. In places like New York City, you can get around by train, car or walking; we need to make sure our folks can get around and access public transportation. North Park and Encinitas are great, but Downtown is a great place for young people—you don't need to have a car or second car; there's density and entertainment there.

GlobeSt.com: What other sorts of tax breaks or other incentives are currently available for start-ups, and which do you believe need to be instituted?

Peters: At the federal level, I'm not sure that there are that many, to be honest with you. Basically, start-ups are quintessentially private-sector enterprises. It takes a lot of guts to leave the corporate world, but from a government perspective, we need to create some context for these people to succeed. We want to make sure if someone invents something, they are able to sell it for a period of time to recoup their investment. Attracting brain power to San Diego is important.

GlobeSt.com: What do you see as the chief real estate concerns for start-ups in San Diego?

Peters: It's fairly expensive. Of course, the upside is that if you compare it to the Bay Area, it's not that expensive. One of the things I'd like to see is as tech companies think about expanding in the Bay Area, they consider the land costs and think about expanding down here, which would be helpful to everybody. The available of a Downtown distinguishes us from other places. But if people don't have good transportation system, they can't get around, and that's a deterrent.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the Future Forum Town Hall event?

Peters: It was fun having Congressman Eric Swalwell from Alameda County here. I was proud to show San Diego off to him and see what collaboration we can start between our two regions.