One of the safest large cities in the United States with reputable public schools and ample open space.

Such a reputation has attracted families and companies from all over the world, making Irvine the employment hub and arguably the most diverse city in Orange County.

Al Treviño isn’t surprised by Irvine’s success within the last 60 years. Treviño, 86, is one of the original planners of the Irvine Co., which developed Irvine from scratch.

“Irvine is on a roll these days,” Treviño wrote in his recent column for the Irvine Co. “Simply put, Irvine’s master plan has been a resounding success – and it continues to guide the city’s thoughtful evolution and growth.”

He listed some key principles of the guiding plan, such as long-term ownership of properties by the Irvine Co., self-contained villages featuring parks, neighborhood schools, job centers, stores and restaurants and the preservation of open spaces.

Upon graduating from UC Berkeley and Harvard, Treviño designed 7,000 acres that would later become Laguna Niguel. He then worked for the Irvine Co. from 1961 to 1965, designing the University Park and Turtle Rock communities as well as Fashion Island, before landing a job at General Electric.

He later served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush.

Al Treviño, one of the original planners of the Irvine Co., center, points at the Irvine master plan as then chief planner Ray Watson, right, looks on in this photo taken in the 1960s. (Courtesy of Irvine Co.)

Al Treviño, one of the original planners of the Irvine Co., poses for a photo in front of a map of Irvine. (Courtesy of Irvine Co.)

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An aerial shot of Fashion Island in 1967. (Courtesy of Irvine Co.)

Advertisement for Irvine in the Register in 1970. (Courtesy of Irvine Co.)

Advertisement for University Park, Irvine’s first village, in the Los Angeles Times in 1970. (Courtesy of Irvine Co.)



Al Treviño is one of the original planners of the Irvine Co., which developed Irvine. This photo was taken at his home in Laguna Beach on Nov. 1, 2017. (Photo by Tomoya Shimura, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Treviño sat down with the Register at his Laguna Beach house to discuss his life, work as a community planner and thoughts that went into designing Irvine.