Santa Monica 2050
Welcome to Santa Monica 2050: A Strategy to Enhance and Sustain Our Economy
What will Santa Monica's economy look like in a future where automation completes tasks previously performed by humans , items purchased online arrive in real time, and workers are potentially no longer stationed at a certain desk or counter ? Santa Monica currently enjoys a vibrant economy , but global trends such as artificial intelligence , user options, and connectivity are reshaping how we work, live, shop , and interact. In anticipation of these changes , the City of Santa Monica has launched Santa Monica 2050 - a strategy to prepare the City for the future given the acceleration of technology and the changes that come with innovation. In alignment with existing long - range plans related to the environment and land use, Santa Monica 2050 seeks to identify strategies to maintain economic vitality and enhance community wellbeing .
Thank you for coming to our 1st Santa Monica 2050: Community Townhall!
After months of research and discussion with experts, we are excited to be engaging with our community around Santa Monica’s economic future, helping us to better understand our community’s perspectives and hopes for the future.
On February 24, we held our first community town hall meeting! Over the course of two hours, staff and our partners at Guidehouse LLP updated community members about our local economy and global trends like artificial intelligence, user options, and connectivity, including perspectives on how they are already reshaping how we work, live, shop, and interact.
During this interactive townhall, staff asked community members:
- Which trend are you most excited about?
- What trend are you most concerned about?
Timeline for Santa Monica 2050
Santa Monica 2050 is currently in phase 4. We are in the process of identifying strategies to mitigate and capitalize on trends. Our team is working with stakeholders to prioritize these strategies and create implementation plans.
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Santa Monica 2050 Past Events
Future Trends and Disruption Deep Dive
Santa Monica 2050 recognizes the importance and value of diverse perspectives. For that reason, the City convened over 80 local, regional, national, and international industry experts and leaders in business, academia, government and the non-profit sectors for the Santa Monica 2050Future Trends and Disruption Deep Dive on November 15, 2019. The goal of the Deep Dive was to envision how global trends will impact the economy, workforce, quality of life, built environment, and government in Santa Monica and the larger Los Angeles region.
During the spirited Deep Dive, participants evaluated the risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence, user options, and connectivity and discussed the future impacts of the trends on the economy, government, workforce, environment, mobility and wellbeing. Participants shared their ideas on how the risks and opportunities would affect Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles region.
A Discussion on Disruption and the Economy
On June 5, 2018, the City of Santa Monica hosted an evening of futuristic contemplation to explore what life might be like with shared autonomous vehicles, highly tailored retail experiences, and new ways of doing work. Distinguished UCLA professor and economic geographer, Dr. Michael Storper, moderated a panel of experts in forward-thinking fields to discuss how these emerging trends and technologies could affect Santa Monica’s economy in the long term.
View a recording of the highlights.
View a recording of the entire program.
A Tradition of Planning for the Future
Santa Monica has enjoyed decades of sustained economic success, but we cannot take prosperity for granted. Luckily, planning for a robust economic future isn’t a new practice in Santa Monica. Just as forward thinking leaders built a strategy 30 years ago to support fruitful industries for Santa Monica like retail, tourism, and professional and creative businesses, it is now up to our community to build a new strategy that prepares our economy for the next several decades. It is our challenge to determine how we preserve Santa Monica’s unique qualities and strengths while adapting to rapidly changing ways of living, working, and traveling. We believe our community can harness these emerging forces to serve our city’s best interests for generations to come.
Hear from Santa Monica City Manager, Rick Cole, about the city’s endeavor to build a long-term economic sustainability strategy.
Here are past Council items that led to Santa Monica 2050 Strategy:
Study Session: Strategy for Long-term Economic Sustainability - September 26, 2017
Administrative Action: Strategy for Long-term Economic Sustinability - December 5, 2017
Award Contract to Guidehouse LLP for Economic Sustainability Strategy - June 25, 2019