Volunteer for the City’s Care Call Program
During his State of the City address early last year, Mayor Larry Agran proposed ambitious plans...
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Irvine City Council Votes for Tougher E-Bike Regulations
Biking has always been a popular mode of transportation and a favorite form of outdoor exercise for Irvine residents. Our City offers more than 100 miles of off-street bike trails and over 250 miles of on-street bike lanes.
However, the increase in the number of electric bikes (e-bikes) on Irvine sidewalks and streets has raised serious safety concerns. The Irvine Police Department has reported a growing number of e-bike collisions, with teens flying down City streets and pathways, crossing intersections without yielding to oncoming traffic, and demonstrating little regard for pedestrians and motorists they encounter.
On January 27th, the City Council voted 6-1 to adopt tougher e-bike regulations.
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Community Meeting Regarding Progress at the Great Park
A lot of new amenities are coming to the Great Park — including a grand promenade, peaceful walking trails, two lakes, a meadow with tree-top walks, the Veterans Memorial Park & Gardens, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, Pretend City Children’s Museum, and the Asian American History Museum.
In addition, The Canopy will open later this year on the corner of Bosque and Great Park Boulevard, and will include a specialty grocer, restaurants, and cafes for nearby residents and park visitors.
On Monday, March 2nd from 4-6pm, the City of Irvine will host a community meeting, providing residents an opportunity to learn about key project highlights and speak with subject-matter experts about the features coming to the park.
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Local Musicians Headed to National Trumpet Competition
Matthew Kim is an award-winning trumpeter who has performed at a number of premier venues —...
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Meet Irvine’s Good Neighbors Avram & Bo
Here at Irvine Community News & Views, we want to publicly thank longtime Irvine resident...
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Veterans Wall of Honor & Columbarium Remains in Limbo
On December 9th, Councilmembers Mai, Go, Liu, and Treseder voted against building a Veterans Wall of Honor & Columbarium within the grounds of the Veterans Memorial Park & Gardens at the Great Park.
In voting NO, the four Councilmembers said that it would be “culturally insensitive” for community members and “traumatic” for Irvine children to see a columbarium.
However, on January 13th, Councilmember Mai — supported by Councilmember Treseder — introduced a motion for City staff to study sites for a public columbarium. Mai & Treseder suggested the Cultural Terrace in the Great Park as one of their preferred sites, even though millions of community members and children will visit the Cultural Terrace every year.
Irvine City Council Approves Economic Development Blueprint
The Irvine City Council has unanimously approved the City’s 2026-2028 Economic Development Blueprint.
The Blueprint prioritizes business retention and expansion; growth of Irvine’s venture capital and innovation ecosystem; workforce and talent-pipeline development; and enhancement of Irvine’s national and global competitiveness.
The Blueprint also lays the groundwork for the City to partner with the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce to establish an Irvine Center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The new Center will serve as Irvine’s hub for startups and innovators by connecting entrepreneurs with investors, providing resources for early-stage companies, and making it easier to start and grow a business in Irvine.
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Irvine is the Fourth Greenest City in America
Thanks to its abundance of parks, bikeways, open spaces and trees, Irvine is now ranked the fourth Greenest City in America and the greenest city in Southern California according to the finance website WalletHub.
Each year, WalletHub compares the nation’s 100 largest cities to compile its “Greenest Cities” list, using 28 key indicators — ranging from greenhouse gas emissions per capita to water quality and green jobs.
The City’s high percentage of green space and its environmental leadership has been part of Irvine’s foundation since its earliest planning. The City’s Master Plan called for parks, open space, walking trails, and bike paths to be woven throughout neighborhoods.
An impressive 28% of Irvine’s land is dedicated to parks and green spaces, which is nearly double the national average. And 96% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
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Orange County’s First Cancer Specialty Hospital Opens in Irvine
On December 1st, Orange County’s first cancer specialty hospital opened in Irvine. The 174,000-square-foot City of Hope medical facility is located at 16300 Sand Canyon Parkway.
More than 100 physician-scientists have been brought in to focus solely on treating and curing cancer. The 73-bed hospital provides access to a number of cancer-focused clinical trials, including early-stage clinical trials that require close supervision in a hospital setting.
The first floor includes an eight-bed evaluation and treatment center — essentially an urgent care that will be open around-the-clock, 365 days a year, for patients who have any issue related to their cancer.
The new hospital is part of a 72-acre academic research campus that connects the hospital to an adjacent outpatient center, which opened last year, at City of Hope’s $1 billion Irvine campus being developed at Barranca and Alton.
Irvine’s New Public Library System
Last August, the City of Irvine celebrated the official opening of its new City-run public library system, with more than 1,200 residents in attendance.
Under the previous library system, Irvine taxpayers were contributing roughly $17 million annually to the Orange County Public Libraries (OCPL). However, the libraries operated by OCPL in Irvine were receiving only $5 million annually in services, with Irvine residents being underserved by the City’s three small libraries.
The transition has allowed the City to begin expanding and modernizing existing branches; plan for new branches in town; tailor library services to better meet the needs of the City’s residents; and expand programming, collections, and services.
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