| Carlsbad is a resort town in the North County area | | | | and grace of the city. This number of residential |
| of San Diego County in California. Situated right on | | | | areas and population is expected to be achieved by |
| the shores of the Pacific Ocean, the city is blessed | | | | 2010, and the numbers can only be increased by a |
| with an abundance of both natural and manmade | | | | majority vote of the Carlsbad residents. These |
| features, as well as a vibrant lifestyle, active culture | | | | measures are in line with the Carlsbad city council's |
| and laid back local residents. Aside from the | | | | attempts to actively maintain the "livability" of the |
| aforementioned Pacific Ocean, Carlsbad is also | | | | city, in an age when living conditions from times past |
| surrounded on all sides by majestic mountain peaks | | | | are in danger of being wiped out by commercialization |
| and gorgeous lagoons. All of these natural features | | | | and urbanization. One of the other means by which |
| combine to provide long time residents as well as | | | | Carlsbad residents have sought to preserve the state |
| first time visitors with stunning vistas that are | | | | of their city is by encouraging a more pedestrian |
| breathtaking in their natural unspoiled beauty. Indeed, | | | | oriented community that is less dependent on cars as |
| very few places in the country-and even in the | | | | a means of transport. They also encourage more |
| whole world-can compare to the awesome natural | | | | interaction among neighbors, in the hopes of |
| sights that Carlsbad can offer. Carlsbad has had a | | | | fostering a more "people-oriented" community. To |
| long and colorful history ever since it was established | | | | achieve these and other lifestyle improvement goals, |
| as a small coastal village in the early 1900s. Although it | | | | the city council has implemented four programs: |
| has been around-albeit as a small settlement-since | | | | Livable Streets, Traffic Calming, Planned |
| that time, it was only in July 16, 1952 that Carlsbad | | | | Development, and Neighborhood Design Standards. |
| was incorporated as a city. Even then it remained a | | | | The livable streets program calls for planting trees on |
| fairly small town, especially when compared to other | | | | either side of the road between the edge of the |
| communities around California. It is this small town | | | | curb and the homeowner's property line. This will |
| charm that is really a large part of what makes the | | | | allow the trees to form a sort of canopy over the |
| city so unique and distinctive even to this day. When | | | | road, which will make drivers drive slower, as well as |
| it was incorporated as a city in 1952, Carlsbad had a | | | | to make a cooler, cozier and all around more |
| population of only about 7,000 people and its total | | | | attractive street. The width of the road will also be |
| land area covered only 7.5 square miles. Over the | | | | narrowed down to 34 feet wide as opposed to the |
| years, the city has grown both in terms of population | | | | old standard of 42 feet. The Traffic Calming program |
| and land area, due to the influx of new residents as | | | | has been put in place to address the various issues |
| well as various land annexations. By January 1 of | | | | that come with increased automobile traffic in |
| 1998, the city had grown to a land area of more | | | | residential streets. This program will entail strict |
| than 42 square miles, with a total population of more | | | | implementation of speed limits, as well as monitoring |
| than 73,000 people. For better or for worse, this | | | | of present traffic situations in the affected areas and |
| growth in land area is not going to continue any | | | | identifying any problems as soon as they come up. |
| further, as all the surrounding islands in the county | | | | Among other things, the Planned Development |
| have already been annexed. Which is just as well, as | | | | Ordinance seeks to increase the land area of public |
| the relatively small land area of Carlsbad keeps it | | | | assembly spots and recreational spaces, implement |
| from experiencing the negative effects that has | | | | new guidelines that govern the size and usage of |
| befallen so many large cities. During the November | | | | private residential properties, and discourage the |
| 1986 election by the residents of Carlsbad, it was | | | | building of cul de sacs and private gated communities. |
| voted that the maximum number of residential | | | | Finally the Neighborhood Design Standards program |
| properties in the city would at most be 54,599, | | | | will encourage the building of houses and facades |
| housing a combined total of 135,000 people. This will | | | | that will encourage more interaction among neighbors. |
| effectively limit the number of new residents in the | | | | Carlsbad California real estate for sale. |
| area, and is intended to preserve the quiet charm | | | | |