TRANSFORMING THE IRVINE RANCH
C. Michael Stockstill and H. Pike Oliver have authored two books about the transformation of the Irvine Ranch in Southern California.
The first book, TRANSFORMING THE IRVINE RANCH: Joan Irvine, William Pereira, Ray Watson, and The Big Plan (2022), examines the early planning and initial transformation of a 93,000-acre Southern California agricultural empire into a university-anchored master-planned new town during the 1960s and into the late 1970s.
Learn more and order here.
The sequel, THE IRVINE RANCH: Fulfilling the Vision, 1977‒2025 (2026), continues the story, focusing on the evolution of development and natural land preservation on the ranch via a partnership of high-powered businessmen and then under the sole ownership of Donald Bren. It explores the development of Irvine, and major portions of Newport Beach, Tustin, and Orange, focusing on navigating challenges such as anti-growth sentiment and infrastructure development.
Learn more and order here.
The books provide an in-depth insider look at the planning and real estate strategies behind one of the most significant and successful master-planned developments in the United States.
Approximately 500,000 people now reside on the ranch, along with several hundred thousand jobs and the 37,000-student University of California at Irvine. Fully 62% of the land (57,500 acres) is devoted to natural preserves and large parks.
Published by Routledge of the Taylor & Francis Group, the books are included in the Real Estate Thought Leadership Collection offered by the American Real Estate Society.
The books are also available via Amazon.
NOTE: The background image is a 1959 aerial view of the Irvine Ranch before master-planned development began.
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