Santa Barbara’s central city is at a crossroads. The era of the city’s retail sector, source of sales and property tax revenues, dependence upon automobiles as a part of shopping is over. The explosive growth of online shopping has decimated the retail sector.
However, people want the experience of being together and shopping and dining more urgently than ever. Cities of our size can capitalize on the central city as a gathering and entertainment zone with many dimensions and experiences.
We have been here before. In the 1980s, downtown Santa Barbara was undergoing the challenge of change. Historically the city was the cultural, business, and retail center of the Central Coast. But the growth of Goleta and the growing suburbs in the region came with new malls at La Cumbre and the Camino Real Marketplace. Ventura, Oxnard, and Santa Maria were competing for business with suburban malls as well…