For the past 15 years, Carlsbad has been growing and developing under the guidance of a plan established in 1994 (the city's General Plan). Today, Carlsbad is at a new crossroads. The city is almost 90 percent built-out, and the remaining undeveloped and redeveloping areas present new opportunities and challenges.

The issues facing the future of Carlsbad are no longer focused on guiding development of large land areas, but are related more to protecting and enhancing the quality of life that the community has worked hard to create. There are different choices to be made, new priorities to be set.

Other reasons to envision the future of Carlsbad

• A need to update the General Plan – Since 1994, many of the city’s goals and objectives (as stated in the current General Plan) have been met, but many opportunities and challenges have emerged. Since 1994, 38,000 new residents have been added to the population of the city.
• A need to update the Local Coastal Program  – The Local Coastal Program (LCP), in a nutshell, is not user-friendly.  The LCP is divided into six segments (including Agua Hedionda, a "deferred certification" area), with policies that have been established over time; the LCP has never been comprehensively updated.
• A need to update the Zoning Ordinance  – The Zoning Ordinance, originally drafted in 1952, while meeting many of the city’s objectives, is showing its age.
• Market and Regional Context – The market conditions and regional context surrounding Carlsbad have changed over the past 15 years.
• Time to take a fresh look at the future.

All of the reasons discussed above are good reasons to take a fresh look at what Carlsbad’s residents, businesses, and visitors want for their future.