The redevelopment of the under-utilized property at Santa Monica Airport, upon closure December 31, 2028, presents a unique infrastructure opportunity in the region, one that transcends conventional runway conversion to become a strategic asset for parks, open space, connectivity, climate resilience, and equitable community benefits. In this session, we will unpack how the City of Santa Monica structured a multi-phase engagement and visioning process to determine how this major public land parcel should be transformed for generations to enjoy. We will explore how community input translated into planning scenarios, and how those scenarios were evaluated for open-space access, regional mobility, environmental justice, circular materials, long-term lifecycle value, and construction-cost and schedule impacts. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks for integrating community-first engagement into large-scale infrastructure projects, aligning community engagement strategies with equity and public-value goals, and managing trade-offs between stakeholder expectations, budget realities, and infrastructure priorities.
Reimagining Airport Land: Community-Driven Strategies for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion
