Central Kingsburg Revitalization Plan

The City of Kingsburg, California possesses a unique downtown with a strong Swedish character; however, it has suffered from recent economic and physical decline. Opticos was commissioned to create a downtown revitalization strategy for this historic, agricultural community in the San Joaquin Valley. The project explored urban design solutions to encourage the downtown’s revitalization and maintain its centrality and significance within a growing metropolitan area.

The process culminated in a five-day community charrette, and the resulting revitalization plan included streetscape improvements, infill building prototypes for Kingsburg’s traditional downtown, recommendations for primary connectors to the downtown area, the creation of a citywide pedestrian and bicycle network, and recommendations for long-term growth.

The process was instrumental in revealing many issues with the city’s regulatory framework. To follow and support this plan, Opticos worked with City staff and the public to create a citywide Form-Based Code.