Downtown Revitalization Efforts in Long Beach

I noticed this Los Angeles Times article on the ongoing downtown revitalization efforts in Long Beach. The article is generally bullish on Long Beach, but does note some criticism of the revitalization efforts.

As a planner who is somewhat familiar with the City of Long Beach, I wanted to offer my take on these efforts and how success is defined for these projects. As the article notes, two major publicly assisted development projects, The Pike and Cityplace, have been completed recently in the City. Among the planning brethren with whom I generally interact, few view these developments positively. Chief among the concerns is the design of the projects, with the tenant mix and expenditure of public funds to complete them also raised as common concerns. Most would agree, at least with respect to the Cityplace development, that the new project is an improvement over the development it replaced.

While I share many of the concerns of my brethren with respect to the design and tenant mix of these projects, I view their development as a positive for the City, and something that represents a turning point. I believe that these developments have piqued the interest of other developers in the region, and have led to a development boom in the City. In this respect, the projects have been a success for the City. Rather than focus on the shortcomings of the developments, the planners should understand that they did the best they could, specifically with respect to design, and focus on the future projects. It's easy to critique the projects, but much harder to actually have a part in having them completed. Oftentimes, political push and the perceived need to complete a project can limit the degree to which design, tenant mix, and expenditure of funds can be negotiated by City staff.

However, after these large projects are completed, the tide turns somewhat. With many developers willing to complete projects in the City, City staff have more leverage to require higher quality design, and can be more selective with respect to the projects that receive public funds. In my opinion, reaching a point where the private sector will undertake development absent public assistance is the point of the revitalization efforts, and by this measure these projects have succeeded. The future of Long Beach looks very bright, and those helping to shape it should feel lucky to take part.