How we live, work, and play influence and are influenced by changes in the local landscape, demography, culture, and economy. Like many places in California, Santa Barbara County is experiencing a demographic shift and an expected population boom in the next 25 years that could bring 75,000 additional residents to the County, the vast majority of whom are predicted to move to the northern parts of the County due to job growth, available land, and affordable housing opportunities.
Between agriculture, tourism, recreation, and habitat restoration efforts, Santa Barbara County has an active economy based on its natural resources that can be a support to this growing population if resources are well managed. The County hosts an incredible network of parks and trails that offer recreation and ecosystem service benefits to all who live and play here, but access to these benefits is a challenge for many of the County’s citizens. In addition, local and county-level development decisions have far-ranging impacts (some unintended) on key quality of life factors such as housing costs, commute time, transition zones between land use designations, and access to nature. Understanding these interconnected impacts is essential to working toward a future that all Santa Barbara County citizens would continue to find desirable. Despite strong regional cultures and mindsets, many issues must be addressed collectively to support the many shared interests in the County
Check out the Community and the Land portal on the Blueprint’s Atlas here.