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| Name of Organization: | Architectural Guild |
| Date of Workshop: | June 28, 2000 |
| Number of Participants: | |
| Facilitator: | Ernest Stuart |
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
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
The Community
Image and Identity
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
Economy
- Mix of businesses supported (local support)
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