On August 3rd, the City of Irvine celebrated the official opening of its new City-run public library system, with more than 1,200 residents in attendance.

The first step in the planning process is understanding local needs, which will inform future collections, programs, services, and locations. Community input will be essential in ensuring that Irvine ends up with a library system that best serves its residents.

September is Hunger Action Month! To help address food insecurity in Irvine, the City — in...

This summer, thousands of Irvine residents attended the free events hosted by the City — including CicloIrvine, a community swim lesson, the Pac-Man exhibit at the Great Park, the City’s first Fourth of July parade & fireworks show, five outdoor concerts at Hicks Canyon Community Park, four movies under the stars at Mike Ward Community Park, the Studio Arts Festival, a community bike ride, and the Thursday Night Market at Great Park Live.

Residents also showed up in force to support a variety of community projects — harvesting fruits & vegetables for our local food banks, participating in the City’s mobility summit, donating items for local military families, dropping off supplies at the Irvine Animal Care Center, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Irvine Police Department, and attending the grand opening of our new Irvine Public Library System.

On August 12th, the City Council voted unanimously to delay a special election for a proposed ballot measure regarding open space protections and the future of the Oak Creek Golf Course.

Mayor Agran pointed out that a separate City special election would cost Irvine taxpayers about $2 million. Instead, Agran said he preferred placing the open space measure on the June 2026 primary ballot or on the November 2026 general election ballot, when costs to the City would be minimal and voter turnout would be much higher.

In just the past few months, Irvine has been ranked the third happiest city in the United States and the fourth best place in America to raise a family. Now, Irvine has been recognized as the fourth least stressful city in the nation.

With our best-in-the-state parks system, thousands of acres of hiking & biking trails, world-class medical facilities, exceptional schools, high-paying jobs, support programs for small businesses, and our strong sense of community, it’s no surprise that Irvine is one of the least stressful cities in the nation.

With traffic being the number one complaint among Irvine residents, Mayor Larry Agran and his Council colleagues are working on a number of measures to explore and improve transportation options to meet the evolving needs of the City’s residents, students, and workers.

And the City is expanding the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, with a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge now under construction that will soon span the entire I-5 Freeway.

The financial services company WalletHub has released its Best Places to Raise a Family in 2025 list and Irvine is ranked fourth-best in America. (Actually, we believe that our city is the very best place to raise a family!)

Irvine’s abundance of family-friendly activities, world-class medical facilities, quality of education and childcare programs, high-paying jobs, outstanding parks and trails, and thriving community programs were among the many reasons for the City’s fourth-best ranking.