Summary of Assets

The group identified the following community assets during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

• Blend of natural, planted landscapes
• Entry procession created by topography
• Proximity to other climates (desert, mountains...)
• Limited accessibility/isolation: topography shelters from rest of Orange County
• Definition of town from greenbelt
• Natural limits to growth

Geographic location

• Proximity to LA and other larger cities

Downtown

• Density promotes interaction
• Unique businesses
• Diversity in built environments

Transportation

• Parking problems provide opportunity to walk, talk
• Pedestrian speed (people walk, cars forced to slow in narrow streets)

The People

Community organizations

• Boards, committees organized to maintain quaint, accessible Laguna Beach

Activist citizenry

• Individuals take responsibility for community (activists, citizens picking up trash on beach)
• Community pride
• Tolerance of various lifestyles

The Community

Image and Identity

• Quality of life
• City is collection of village neighborhoods, each with it?s own identity
• Rich texture of town, built over time, historic tradition
• Sensitivity to scale, detail in old and new
• Individual personal design

Economy

• Financial prosperity

Summary of Challenges

The group identified the following community challenges during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

• Developing: private property currently unused/open space: future of ?buildable,? ?non-buildable? lots

Geographic location

• We are not an island: changes of use resulting from inland expansion, population growth in south Orange county
• Encroachment of neighboring cities

Infrastructure

• Planned growth

The Community

Image and Identity

• Keep [entries] distinct

Economy

• Increased demand
• Greedy lawyers
• Isolation through exclusivity
• Loss of community due to influx of affluence without sensitivity to roots of this place

Governance

• What is vehicle to keep vision alive 30 years down the line?? Aspen Institute?? For merging political/community points of view, action ? distinct from political campaigns?

Summary of Visions

The group identified the following as major visions for Laguna Beach during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

• Laguna Beach completely bordered by open space, greenbelt
• County-wide efforts to improve environment

Downtown

• Unforeseen surprises in built environment, natural landscape
• Expand cultural center/village center/open air

Transportation

• Safe, accessible roads
• Slower traffic on neighborhood streets
• Connections between festival areas and main beach area

Infrastructure

• Pedestrian malls, walks downtown
• Pedestrian-friendly coast highway

The People

Children/youth

• People saying, ?I want to raise my children here.??
• Multiplicity of experiences available to children and youth

The Community

Economy

• Small businesses protected

Summary of Opportunities

The group identified the following opportunities during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Infrastructure

• Extreme limits on size of home, site coverage would make design review unnecessary
• Establish concise, conscientious development plan open to necessary changes
• Find creative methods to solve growth/population problems through limits on expansion ? often more restrictions make for greater, smarter responses to problems
• Planning, zoning process which continues to encourage art, culture, diversity, preservation, while allowing creativity, restraint when appropriate, maintains ?big picture?
• Less density, growth drives up cost: carefully planned growth promoting affordable residences for artists... difficult in capitalist society

The People

Activist citizenry

• Community members are resources to meet challenges

The Community

Image and Identity

• Gateway project expanded

Economy

• Mix of businesses supported (local support)