Irvine General Plan

The plan document

Read Irvine's official General Plan: Irvine General Plan → · 2024-08-13 · 2024-11-07

Elements · 7 Verifier-checked summaries

• Land Use Element — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Land Use 2024-08-13

  The Land Use Element lists fourteen goals with paired objectives (LU-1 through LU-14). Goal 1/Objective LU-1 seeks to preserve Irvine's diverse, innovative character through policies on City edges, building masses, energy efficiency, and incorporating a mixture of housing types, facilities, and open space in each residential planning area. Subsequent goals address sustainable economic development (LU-2), preserving the existing job base (LU-3), managing balanced residential/nonresidential growth (LU-4), fiscal sustainability (LU-5), harmonious land use patterns (LU-6), mixed-use areas (LU-7), visual attractiveness (LU-8), safe neighborhoods (LU-9), preserving the natural environment (LU-10), open space access in Focus Areas 1 and 2 (LU-11), Proximity Villages (LU-12), housing at all income levels (LU-13), and public facilities (LU-14). Land use categories are Residential, Institutional, Commercial, Business/Industrial, Multi-Use, Military, and Conservation/Open Space. The IBC Vision Plan caps residential units at 15,000.

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• Housing Element (6th Cycle, 2021-2029) — Irvine General Plan → Housing 2022-05-01

  The 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Housing Element's Housing Plan (Chapter 8) sets eight goals. Goal 1 provides safe and decent housing for all economic segments; Objective A updates the Land Use Element and Zoning Ordinance, with policies HE-A.1 (increase allowable density or FAR for affordable housing, including extremely low-income) and HE-A.2 (rezone commercial/institutional zones for mixed-use/higher-density residential). Program PP-A.1 maintains a site inventory to accommodate the City's 6th Cycle RHNA of 23,610 units (6,396 very-low, 4,235 low, 4,308 moderate, and 8,671 above-moderate income), of which 10,631 are affordable to very-low and low-income. PP-A.3 establishes residential overlays in non-residential areas allowing 30 units/acre and up to 100 percent residential use. Goals 2-8 address land utilization, preserving and encouraging affordable housing, homelessness solutions, homeownership, quality of life/placemaking, and affirmatively furthering fair housing.

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• Circulation Element — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Circulation & Mobility 2024-08-13
• Conservation and Open Space Element (Conservation) — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Conservation 2024-08-13

  The conservation portion of the combined Conservation and Open Space Element states Goal 1 (Objective COS-1) to permanently protect and preserve designated conservation and open space areas, using identification/delineation and zoning buffer zones. Goal 2 (COS-2) implements the Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for multi-species, multi-habitat conservation, including managing lands in the NCCP/HCP Reserve System, restoring Coastal Sage Scrub (CSS) habitat, and protecting wildlife movement corridors connecting the Santa Ana Mountains to Bommer and Shady Canyons, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, and Crystal Cove State Park. Goal 3 (COS-3) preserves geophysical resources including ridgelines, hillsides, and waterways, ensuring no net loss of water flow into the San Joaquin Marsh. Objectives COS-4 (archaeological/historical/paleontological resources), COS-5, and COS-7 (agriculture) follow.

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• Conservation and Open Space Element (Open Space) — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Open Space 2024-08-13

  The open space portion of the combined element centers on Goal 6 (Objective COS-6): establishing and maintaining a network of parks and recreational areas linked to other conservation and open space areas. Policies coordinate parks through the General Plan and Parks Master Plan, expand casual nature recreation such as the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, and require residential developers to dedicate park land and/or pay in-lieu fees at five (5) acres per thousand (1,000) population, consistent with the Quimby Act and Subdivision Map Act. Goal 8 (COS-8) enhances open space in the Irvine Business Complex with public parks, urban plazas, and recreation areas interconnected by streets, bikeways, and trails. Objective COS-9 promotes or mandates open space in multi-family, mixed-use, and office developments, and Goal 10 (COS-10) commits to well-integrated, sustainable open space resources.

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• Noise Element — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Noise 2024-08-13

  The Noise Element's Goal 1 (Objective N-1) controls noise through land use planning and design consistent with Table standards. Policies require development plans to show whether they fall within existing or future noise contours (vehicle, rail, aircraft); avoid new residential development within the 65 dBA CNEL contour unless "normally compatible" exterior standards and interior standards can be met; and impose a Single Event Noise Standard for noise-sensitive uses within the 60 CNEL of aircraft and railroad sources, capping the loudest 10% of events [Lmax(10)] at 65 dBA (7 a.m.-7 p.m.) and 55 dBA (7 p.m.-7 a.m.). Projects must not cause more than a 3 dBA CNEL change in ambient conditions. Goal 2 (Objective N-2) reduces stationary, nontransportation noise to City Noise Ordinance standards. The element notes interior noise from exterior sources shall not exceed an annual CNEL of 45 dB in any habitable room.

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• Safety Element — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Safety 2024-08-13

  The Safety Element opens with Goal 1 (Objective S-1, Hazard Preparedness and Occurrence), with policies to expand the Irvine Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program with multi-language training, coordinate with Caltrans and Orange County Transit Authority on evacuation routes, and update the City's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan every five years. Goal 2 (S-2) addresses seismic and geologic hazards, coordinating with Irvine Ranch Water District and Orange County Water District on emergency water after liquefaction or landslides and promoting retrofit of weak structures and lifeline utilities. Goal 3 (S-3) covers flood hazards with Orange County Flood Control District. Goal 4 (S-4) addresses urban and wildfire hazards including a fire-detection camera network. Goals 5, 6, and Objective S-7 address drought and extreme heat, diseases and pests, and climate change resiliency and adaptation.

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• Environmental Protection and Climate Action Element (Environmental Justice) — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Environmental Justice 2024-08-13

  Per Senate Bill 1000 (2016), Irvine addresses Environmental Justice within the Environmental Protection and Climate Action (EPCA) Element. The City uses CalEnviroScreen (CES, Version 4.0), with 21 indicators, to identify disadvantaged/environmental justice communities (those in the top 25%). Goal 1 (Objective EPCA-1) provides equitable environmental protection for all communities by addressing disparities, including ensuring equitable access to resources and funding. Goal 2 (Objective EPCA-2) prioritizes identifying, assessing, and mitigating environmental health risks in disadvantaged communities, with policies aligned to other elements: ensuring non-residential development does not cause harmful pollution (Land Use), and addressing displacement and housing mobility disparities (Housing). The element identifies the Portola and Great Park communities as disadvantaged communities due solely to their proximity to the former MCAS El Toro airbase.

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• Environmental Protection and Climate Action Element (Climate/Air Quality/Energy) — 2045 Irvine General Plan → Other 2024-08-13

Element summaries are generated from the official document text and held unless every fact is grounded in the source. Links open the jurisdiction's own published documents.