Irvine, Planned city in Orange County, United States
Irvine is a planned city in Orange County, California, covering a large area with straight streets, residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and academic institutions linked together. The entire layout follows a structured grid where each village neighborhood forms a core with schools, parks, and shops.
The area was originally Gabrieleño land, then became part of a Spanish colony and later Rancho San Joaquín before officially incorporating as a city in 1971. The Irvine Company developed the land from the 1960s onward into a modern settlement with planned residential and work zones.
Each village has a neighborhood center with shops and gathering spaces where residents meet during weekly markets and community events. Families use the green spaces and bike paths daily for walking, jogging, or simply spending time with friends and children.
The University of California campus sits centrally and can be reached through several access roads and bus routes that also connect other neighborhoods. Parking is available on site, though many destinations can be reached on foot or by bicycle.
Nearly all street intersections lack traffic lights and instead feature wide curves and traffic islands meant to keep traffic flowing. The entire road network was designed so that through traffic barely touches the individual village cores.
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