Coursera: Designing Cities Natalie KatzAssignment 2: Three Special Places May 29, 2016

Street: Thousand Oaks Boulevard

Thousand Oaks Blvd is the main corridor of the greater Thousand Oaks area and has been for decades. It is a direct reflection of the people who live here and have lived here. Some of the buildings are brand new, and some date back to the 1960s. Here you will find our auto mall, our town centers, the Civic Arts Plaza (housing the theaters and City Hall), our big indoor and outdoor malls (The Oaks Mall, and the Janss Marketplace, respectively), as well as innumerable small businesses. To see the history of Thousand Oaks, as well as the various kinds of people who make it the lovely place it is, all you need to do is drive down this street. In 2011, a plan was approved to “revitalize and beautify the corridor”, making it more pedestrian-friendly with updated, modern architecture. This is an ongoing process, in which the citizens are extremely involved. An ever-changing landscape, Thousand Oaks boulevard continues to grow and change along with the city and its inhabitants.

Coursera: Designing Cities Natalie KatzAssignment 2: Three Special Places May 29, 2016

District: Old Agoura

The city of Agoura Hills lies immediately next to Thousand Oaks. The first home was built in 1850, and was the ranch house of the Reyes Rancho, known as Rancho Las Virgenes. The entire area was originally ranch land and many streets today bear the names of the first families who settled in the valley. The district of Old Agoura holds tightly to its Old West roots, with strict building and development rules laid out in the Old Agoura Overlay. New buildings must match the aesthetic of the existing architecture, which is described as “rural, rustic, and country”. There are no public streetlights, and private outdoor lighting is encouraged to be subtle. The properties tend to be older, with plenty of room for horses, which many people own. Horse, hiking, and biking trails weave throughout the district and are meticulously maintained. Old Agoura prides itself on providing a rural lifestyle in the middle of a bustling city, with all the conveniences of suburbia, while maintaining the quietness and pace of the country. Change is slow, even non-existent in this district, and that is its biggest draw.

Coursera: Designing Cities Natalie KatzAssignment 2: Three Special Places May 29, 2016

Public Space: Conejo Community Park

Also called Dover-Hendrix park by the locals, due to the crossroads it sits at, Conejo Community Park was taken over by the Recreation and Parks District in 1972. The 38.4-acre park sits in the middle of a residential district. Aside from the playgrounds (which have been updated at least twice in my lifetime), the park features big grassy fields, rolling hills, and numerous oak trees. It is well-maintained and updated as needed, though not constantly. There is a large community center, several large reservable picnic areas, a baseball diamond, and BBQ grills. The park is also home to a botanical garden with hiking trails, and a children's teaching garden. Every summer the park hosts the annual Concert in the Park series, where a huge bandstand is set up and tribute bands play popular songs. The audience brings picnic dinners and sits on the grass. The park is heavily used and beloved by the community.