Smart Growth in Carlsbad, California

Carlsbad has a very good reputation as a desirable community for a variety of reasons. One is the excellent school system which has won awards a number of times and most recently had elementary schools that were voted the Best of the Best in California.

Carlsbad also has excellent arts programs, which include the Cannon Art Gallery (with a number of shows each year and family day activities for each show that are free to the public), the Museum of Making Music, and the TGIF Jazz in the Park series (9 shows) on Fridays in the summer, also free to the public.

Anyone living here or driving through has to have notice the dramatic growth that has taken place in recent years and the continued development we see - La Costa Greens, La Costa Ridge, La Costa Oaks, Bressi Ranch, and the new Robertson Ranch that is in the review process in the town. One wonders where it will all end, and it is happening in a planful way of not.

Carlsbad is impressive for its focus on SMART GROWTH and the dedication to this is commendable.

Back in 2002 the City Council voted on a new resolution (Resolution Number 2002-072) to support smart growth in the San Diego area. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), of which our town is a member, developed a plan called the Region 2002 Strategy in order to deal with, in a productive, forward-thinking manner, the increasing growth in San Diego and maintain the quality of life so treasured by those who live here and the businesses in the area.

The challenges, of course, are enormous, and the City of Carlsbad has committed to this plan as part of their overall build-out plans through 2020.

The focus on smart growth is widespread, and includes things such as housing options including affordable homes and apartments (e.g., Poinsettia Station), walkable neighborhoods (e.g., Bressi Ranch), transportation options, jobs near housing, public spaces, preservation of open space, urban public facilities, mixed land use, livable streets in subdivisions (more narrow streets) and more. The master planned communities are part of this overall strategy, and each exhibits evidence of smart growth such as lots of open space, pedestrian pathways and areas set aside for affordable housing development.

Carlsbad Village itself is a good example of smart growth, as a pedestrian-friendly community, with the emphasis on retail, neighborhoods, and business all co-mingled and just a short distance to the beach, with streets that are narrow and easy to navigate on foot. There is also a transit center (Coaster, buses) which makes the Village more accessible to community residents who are not within walking distance.

Smart Growth is an intelligent way to manage our burgeoning population, and necessary to ensure that the town meets the diverse needs of its residents and businesses. Carlsbad is to be commended for its efforts in this process and the forward-thinking attitude so prevalent throughout the community.

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If I can provide more information about Solana Beach, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2007 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits