Isla Vista Master Plan and Downtown Revitalization Strategy

Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County, California

January 2002

to

February 2003

Strategic Economics provided analytical support for two related projects in Isla Vista -- an unincorporated part of

Santa Barbara County located next to the University of California campus. The two projects were the Isla Vista

Master Plan and a revitalization strategy for Isla Vista's downtown. Together they are intended to address a range

of issues affecting the community, including expensive and inadequate housing, parking problems affecting

residents and visitors, a shortage of quality jobs, and poor retail performance/lack of shopping choices. In addition

to analyzing the retail and real estate markets, formulating a downtown revitalization strategy, and helping to

develop real estate prototypes that are feasible from both a financial and urban design standpoint, Strategic

Economics played a large role in the public participation process, both presenting information and helping to

facilitate the process.