When competing for all that cities need to succeed – like brainy residents, good jobs and strong home values – Irvine has a superpower: The city is unusually beautiful.
The beauty of a community is a deciding factor in determining where people live and work, suggests a recent study in the Journal of Regional Science.
Albert Saiz, director of the Urban Economics lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the study’s co-authors, says they found employment growth stood about 10% higher in metro areas with twice as many picturesque locations. Irvine’s picturesque locations come from both nature – its Southern California coastal setting – and from master planning, experts say.
“One of the big advantages of master-planned communities is the ability to provide that investment in architectural beauty and public spaces that scattered developments cannot do.” – Albert Saiz, director of the Urban Economics lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A subtle example is the generous green space between homes and the street, where lush landscaping and walking paths are placed. This green space does not exist in most cities, creating a crowded environment. A less subtle example of beauty is Irvine’s expansive park system that’s ranked tops in California and offers a green backdrop to everyday life.
Says Saiz: “One of the big advantages of master-planned communities is the ability to provide that investment in architectural beauty and public spaces that scattered developments cannot do.”
