Decision Makers Archives - Oxnard Placemaking, Civic Beauty & Urban Design

The Storefront Accelerator

ByRoy Prince February 5, 2021February 8, 2021

The Storefront Accelerator By Jaime J. Izurieta Your storefront can make you money. Odds are it is not and you are wasting a great opportunity. Design brings people into your store. It attracts new customers and tells them what your business is about. Once inside, it guides them to what you want them to see. Most…

Who Decides

ByRoy Prince January 4, 2021February 8, 2021

Your neighborhood is chock full of subtle clues about who makes the decisions and who holds the power. Interested in learning more? Watch Power & Health for free on the PBS App or on our website. #PowerAndHealth

Housing and Oxnard

ByRoy August 30, 2018July 14, 2019

Oxnard has a severe housing shortage. Earlier this year SB 827 attempted to help communities build more housing. If the direction of SB 827 is correct the “fixes” relate mostly to zoning that incentives sprawl and makes it almost impossible to build in city cores. I will not go into the failure of SB 827…

From Vision to Policy, Making New Urbanism Work

ByRoy August 3, 2018

“Brilliant podcast on placemaking, public policy, planning departments and the public. I cannot recommend this podcast highly enough.” Editor. JULY 26, 2018 BY STRONG TOWNS This is our sixth dispatch from the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), which took place in Savannah, Georgia in May. Chuck Marohn attended CNU and hosted a series of in-depth podcast conversations…

Making Cities More Dense Always Sparks Resistance. Here’s How To Overcome It.

ByRoy July 21, 2018July 14, 2019

“NIMBYs are not necessarily the problem. They are behaving normally for humans. The problem is politicians and other decision-makers who know better, who don’t do the right thing because of NIMBY fear. If you’ve had a long process, heard from thousands of people, investigated and understood the technical issues, know your aspirations as a city,…

What Does It Mean To Build A Vibrant Community?

ByRoy July 16, 2018

JULY 12, 2018 BY STRONG TOWNS “Our country was built on place, built on neighbors, built on people helping each other… I think people are yearning for that again and that’s what a downtown does.”— Quint Studer Quint Studer is the founder of the Studer Community Institute, a nonprofit organization in Pensacola, FL focused on improving…

World Class Urban Design & Economic Development Education

ByRoy May 28, 2018July 10, 2018

CityBuilding Express #CBX2018 Why spend 4 days on a tour bus with 50 mayors, developers, city council members, staff planners, supervisors, city managers, urban designers, town architects, economic development experts? For the annual CityBuilding Express (#CBX2018) event of course! There is never a dull moment with this inquisitive outspoken crowd! Nathan Norris photo Riding with 50…

2 New Hotels for Oxnard’s Riverpark – Architecture or Something Else?

ByRoy May 10, 2018May 23, 2018

We were promised by the developers that Oxnard would get two beautiful hotels. What do you think? Come to the Community Workshop and share your thoughts: Springhill Suites Marriott proposed for Riverpark: Townplace Suites Marriott proposed for Riverpark: Mixed-use building for comparison to the above proposal:…

Comeback planned for commercial corridor

ByRoy March 26, 2018March 26, 2018

It’s time for the City of Oxnard to begin to think about how to fix Oxnard Boulevard and Saviers Road. While Oxnard’s main streets have been a state highway for years, now our main streets are waiting to become walkable places that generate economic development for Oxnard. The following article is an example of how…

Chronic Understaffing (Oxnard Planners) and Economic Development

ByRoy March 26, 2018July 2, 2018

June 28, 2018 – minor edit and update While I have been discussing the lack of planners in Oxnard…the real issue is chronic understaffing and Economic Development. Oxnard cannot develop economically without enough qualified planners (chronic understaffing) to carry the workload. Oxnard needs 20 to 25 planners but currently has only 7 or 8 staff planners. How can…