By Keyang Pang | US News Express
Zhou Ling likes tree-lined Irvine the most. The jacarandas on both sides of the streets are refreshing. Every morning, she takes her pet dog for a walk on the grass outside her home, breathing fresh air and enjoying the sunshine.
When Zhou Ling and her husband moved from the Chinese area of Hacienda Heights to Irvine in 2018, their rent for three bedrooms and three bathrooms was $2,950, but they finally negotiated with the landlord to $2,775. After her old landlord passed away in 2023, his children planned to increase the rent to $4,200 per month, otherwise they planned to sell the property.
A 50% increase in rent is undoubtedly a huge pressure for Zhou Ling and her husband. Coupled with the current loan interest rate, they are in a dilemma.
Zhou Ling and his wife finally decided to move away from Irvine. She said that if conditions permit in the future, she hopes to move back to Irvine.
Many Chinese people know Irvine as it has been ranked the safest city in the United States for nearly 20 consecutive years, but Irvine is also one of the greenest cities in the United States. With more than 550,000 trees, Irvine has long been known as Tree City USA. The city’s original plan promised it would be a “place where people and nature thrive.”
According to national nonprofit’s annual ParkScore Index, Irvine ranks fourth in the nation and first in California. The index is based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities.
The index also looked at park access and equity and found that 94% of Irvine residents live within a half-mile walk of a park, while 91% of low-income families live within a 10-minute walk of the park. Because approximately 26% of the City of Irvine is considered parkland for public use, Irvine received a perfect score for the percentage of total parkland area.
These factors have attracted people from all over the world to settle in Irvine, including Zhou Ling and her husband. This has also created a severe housing issue.
According to real estate website Redfin, home prices in Irvine surged in February 2024, rising 14.5% from the previous year to a median price of $1.5 million. Homes in Irvine typically sell in 25 days, significantly shorter than the national average. Despite the volatility in the real estate market, home prices in Irvine have been trending upward.
In this regard, Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan said in an exclusive interview with UNE that as mayor, she has been working hard to promote affordable housing throughout the city. Some 15% of available homes are listed as affordable housing, though new laws require that 25% be affordable.
“There are long waiting lists for affordable housing in Irvine neighborhoods, nearly 3,000 people in each area, so we want to make sure the city builds to meet that need,” Khan said.
She added that “there are many million-dollar homes in Irvine, but we need to maintain a balance so that working-class people who work in Irvine can also live here.”
Regarding suggestions on urban greening, Mayor Khan said that modern urban greening should no longer fall into the misunderstanding of green grass lawns. The city of Irvine is working to convert public lawns to more drought-tolerant native plants that are more sustainable, bring vitality to the city while requiring less water.
In terms of tree planting, Irvine has many eucalyptus and jacaranda trees. The city hired arborists to study and plant native trees in the area because they require less water, are more natural and provide shade.
Another well-known tourist destination in Irvine is Great Park, a former lima bean field and retired military base that is currently being developed into the world’s largest municipal park covering an area of 1,300 acres.
Mayor Khan pointed out that development of Great Park will not happen overnight, but is a phased plan over decades. Seize any current opportunity to build green areas, as they are investments in the future.
This story was produced as part of the Greening of LA ethnic media project, a collaboration between EMS and UCLA/LENS.
Keyang Pang wrote this fellowship story for UNE US News Express, a Southern California-based multiplatform media outlet in English and Chinese featuring business, local news, and culture for the Chinese community.
“Irvine Scores High on Green Spaces as It Becomes a City for Rich” features the experiences of Chinese American residents in danger of being priced out of Irvine — one of the greenest cities in the U.S., with over 550,000 trees and an original plan promising a “place where people and nature thrive” — as rents become unaffordable for low-income families most vulnerable to a scarcity of green space.
Pang, chief correspondent at UNE US, said “I quite enjoy being engaged with nature. I’ve backpacked through the high country of the Eastern Sierra and raced Mountain bikes. These types of outdoor activities are not common in the Chinese community, but I’m doing my part to change that.”
