APA Awards 2009: Orange County Great Park Comprehensive Master Plan - Orange County, CA

Innovation in Regional Planning

Orange County Great Park Comprehensive Master Plan
Orange County, California

The Orange County Great Park, serving a population of more than three million people in Orange County, California, is designed around two concepts — transferring sustainable practices at the park beyond the park's borders and the "three park experiences in one" concept. The park will feature a constructed 2.5-mile canyon, daylighted existing stream, a large lake, a cultural terrace, a great lawn, an aviation museum, a conservatory/botanical garden, and a sports park.

The Great Park Plan brings sustainability out "into the open" in order to educate the public and encourage further research. It incorporates principles of sustainable development, including habitat restoration, renewable energy generation, water quality management, and promotion of non-polluting transportation methods. The Great Park Plan also recognizes the site's recent history as a military airbase and is commemorated with historic museum exhibits, a memorial, and the stories of the men and women who once served there. The park will also create social and transportation connections to the communities throughout the county by knitting together riding, hiking, and multiuse trails from all parts of the region, linking all neighborhoods to the park and communities beyond.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• APA Awards
• American Planning Association
• Orange County
• California
• Parks
• comprehensive
• master plan
• regional planning
• planners
• sustainability
• development
• habitat restoration
• environmental
• water quality
• trails
• biking

[johndrew25]

The reality, of course, is that the Great Park has been a financial failure. I visited it last week. I was the only person in the visitor center - except for the four paid staff members. If you want to see government failure at work, I recommend a visit to OC's Great Park.