A community of 30,000 situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco in California’s coastal mountain range, the City of Paso Robles is located along the historic De Anza Trail, the El Camino Real and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Paso Robles has long been a center of agriculture and wine making and, with its natural sulphur springs, was once a popular health resort.

The Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan was developed to provide a vision for the 1,000-acre, 245-block planning area that would merge these rich historic traditions with contemporary needs such as revitalizing the existing uptown, establishing a stronger identity for the traditional downtown, resolving the downtown’s relationship with the Salinas River, and unifying past uncoordinated planning efforts through a new form-based code. The plan revitalizes and expands the historic downtown by introducing infill buildings while preserving historic fabric and establishing a pedestrian-friendly street network. Traffic circulation, public transit and parking issues were addressed and a new range of sustainable strategies were developed.

“The Plan has been instrumental in providing a deeply shared community vision and the implementation tools to guide infill/mixed-use development, most recently in the redevelopment of the Oak Park Public Housing Project...Thank you Juan and thank you Stefanos,” said Community Development Director Ronald Whisenand.

“This is a most auspicious event for Paso Robles!" said City Planner Ed Gallagher upon the Plan's adoption. "We are ever so grateful for your professionalism, expert guidance, and sage advice. And now, the work continues as we set forth to implement it...Thank you again, this time for your patience and forbearance!”

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