| Overview |
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"The
building of cities is one of man's greatest achievements. The form
of his city
has always
been and always will be a pitless indicator of the state of his civilization.
This form is determined by the multiplicity of decsions made by the
people who live in it." |
“To remain successful, Ventura must periodically
renew itself, re-examine its goals and create a shared vision to guide
the community into the future.”
With these opening words, the citizens of our community proclaimed the
Ventura Vision, which was unanimously accepted by the City Council in
March 2000. That landmark report captured the results of “a partnership
encompassing city government, non-profit organizations, community groups,
businesses, schools and individual residents to chart the community’s
future through a process of visioning.”
Building on that shared vision, the City embarked on an effort to revise
the 1989 Comprehensive Plan that served as the General Plan that all
cities are required by State law to use to guide land use, transportation
and other important policy decisions. This new General Plan is the culmination
of that effort to translate the Ventura Vision into a coherent and comprehensive
implementation plan to guide future development and preservation.
Throughout the visioning process and at the ballot box, Ventura residents
have made clear we want a well-planned approach to managing growth. We
don’t want continued suburban sprawl paving over farm land and
sensitive hillside areas. Instead, we want vacant or run-down properties
to be improved with high quality “infill” to provide new
jobs, new homes and new stores and services.
Managing growth to improve our quality of life and standard of living is the smart thing to do. Ventura residents don’t want uncontrolled growth and suburban sprawl. We also don’t want traffic gridlock, more “cookie cutter” tract houses or housing prices that make Ventura unaffordable for working families. By targeting new development to areas that would benefit from reinvestment – and by respecting our historic character and sense of place – “smart growth” is a better alternative.
Our vision is for a prosperous and well-planned community. Smart Growth emphasizes reusing existing buildings and land, revitalizing our historic downtown and neighborhoods, and protecting the environment for future generations. Smart Growth channels new businesses and homes into appropriate areas. It also provides options for public transportation, creates neighborhoods where homes are in walking distance of local services and ensures green space for public use.
We seek to protect and enhance our unique “sense of place" that
builds on our pride in Ventura’s history and natural setting. Instead
of new development that looks like everywhere else, our vision is for
interesting, unique neighborhoods and districts, which reflect our values
and heritage. The policies for pursuing these goals are spelled out in
this new General Plan.
Download Overview PDF
