Palm trees
Spectrum Center, Irvine, CA
It is crazy how every time I mention this word, there is an instant connection pointing to Southern California when ironically the palm tree itself is not native to California. Similar to palm trees, the majority of the population in Irvine is usually not native to the area. The immigrants run the city. I found every piece of the world around Irvine, the language, and people, even on the municipal level where most city councils are led by new immigrants. All under one condition: they are competitive, relatively wealthy, and looking for better educational opportunities in a safe, planned community to settle in. On the bright side. Irvine is diverse in terms of cultural backgrounds. On the other way around, to live in the city you’ll need to be somewhat financially stable.
The comfortable outlook would be reversed if you are a new incomer from a lower income family, where you lack not only social mobility but physical mobility.
You wish you were one of the wealthy people in Orange County that owns a yacht in your backyard, driving multiple Teslas and casually parking them in front of their porches like it was nothing special. Going to high school where you would constantly see people who are the same age wearing name brands: Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. When you know for a fact that a 15-year-old could not afford them.
BUT, it is Irvine, a young hub where all the new money from all around the world moves to. The South Coast Plaza and Spectrum are one pedal press away; Friday nights are for shopping sprees in the luxury suburban mall. Again, it’s Irvine, everything is grand and master-planned; Two blocks away is the food plaza that serves cuisines from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Drive up to the five, it is the happiest place in the world aka the first Disneyland that is ever being built; Cruise down south towards some toll roads you’ll reach the Crystal Cove State Park and ride the Ferris wheel along the Newport sea shore. One hour up north is the Big Bear where the snow and mountains are located; if you are looking for a runaway location with warm and desert-like weather, take the 10 to the east and go on a star-watching trip in the valleys of the Joshua Tree National Park.
It is called the Southern California challenge for a reason, where within a day, we can easily travel from the beach, the city, shopping center to the desert and ski resort. Entertainment is within reach, authentic foods are always available, retail therapy plays a huge role in the day to day life, and competitive education institutions sprawl around.
Irvine is promising and attractive. Opportunities and comfortable assurance arise. Granted, quality services are offered. However, Is Irvine designed in such a convenient way that everyone enjoys its presence?
Yet, as a resident of the city, you found everything but nothing you could afford, despite the huge range of selections and options. As much as I appreciate my teenage years in Irvine, I would still be shocked by the socioeconomic gap I felt from my peers, and with that is the lack of access and uncertainty. Cars are a necessity to survive in the city. “Walkable” but it is in a distance where it is awkward to walk to but no point in driving. Public transportation was never on time and I was uncertain about the next bus to catch on. “Organized” where you would still be stuck at a 5 PM traffic and death polls brought by speeding is a norm.“Safe” but burglaries happened in local stores because the city’s reputation for wealth causes them to be an easy target to steal. I still feel blessed by the fact that the thief did not pull out the gun at the register I used to work at.
Behind the master plan, it is hard to be part of the city. The competition between businesses is controlled by the Irvine Company. As the huge planner behind every real estate, every transaction will be managed by the company. If you are starting up a business in Irvine, the store is regulated. Are you renting out apartments? Even though there are many neighborhoods to choose from, you are going to pay the minimum price set by the Irvine Company. On top of that, the city government restricts any forms of short-term rental which prompt up the baseline of moving in. Thus Irvine is aimed to be targeted to a certain well-off population that could already afford basic needs and looking for quality of life and comfort. They market for people to stay permanently. It is a bubble in terms of capturing people’s mentality: Irvine: the safe enclave.
As much as my love for Irvine and palm trees remains, the daily aspects make me reconsider if we would ever be able to build a master-planned city that is accessible to everyone. Perhaps in a utopia scenario. Would we ever be able to live in a smart city where everyone has access to it? That is a question that has yet to be answered.