The Master Plan. Then and now, ensuring your family’s quality of life.
The decision of The Irvine Company to initiate a master plan for The Irvine Ranch was made in 1959, when the Company donated 1,000 acres of land to the University of California. William Pereira was commissioned to create a plan for the new campus (completed in 1960) and the surrounding 35,000-acre coastal sector of the Ranch (completed in 1964).
Pereira introduced the concept of a master planned community as opposed to an extension of the suburbanization existing in the northern half of Orange County.
A full-time professional planning staff was established within the Company under Ray Watson to complete and implement the master plan. The 22,000-acre valley sector was completed in 1970 and the 36,000-acre mountain sector followed three years later.
The Irvine Ranch Master Plan has continued to meet the standards of a balance of land uses to support economic growth and promote quality of life, including:
- A variety of housing types
Job centers
Shopping centers
Schools
Generous recreation
Abundant open space
The Irvine Ranch Master Plan has adapted well to new needs and changing times. The Villages of Irvine are the current reflection of Pereira’s and Watson’s vision and The Irvine Company’s commitment to the community.
To read more about the development and specifics of the Master Plan, click here
