Long-Range Vision
From the beginning, James Irvine ran The Irvine Ranch® with a respect for the land that has endured through many decades of dramatic change. The Irvine Company has always viewed the Ranch as a valuable, nonrenewable resource that must be managed with careful planning and long-range vision. With this in mind, the company in 1960 commissioned architect William Pereira to create a Master Plan to guide development and set standards for the entire Irvine Ranch.
The plan called for a balance of land uses to support economic growth and promote quality of life, including a variety of housing types, job centers, shopping centers, generous recreational opportunities and abundant open space. Planners also anticipated the need for schools, churches, parks, roads, and utilities to serve the Ranch.
The Master Plan was designed with enough flexibility to respond to changing times, but William Pereira’s original vision and guiding principles—and the legacy of James Irvine’s ideals—continue to protect the quality of life on the Ranch nearly five decades after the plan was conceived.
For more information on the Irvine Ranch master planning process, go to www.goodplanning.org/themasterplan.