Draft Objective Design Standard (ODS) Topic Areas
Review the topics below and share your input on the design qualities and features that help define Ventura’s character.
Welcome
HideEngagement to Date
PHASE I: VENTURA DESIGN CHARACTER
During the first phase of work in the Spring and Summer of 2025, the project team worked with city staff and the community to better understand Ventura's existing design character.
Key activities included:
- Field observations of Ventura neighborhoods, districts, and recent development projects
- Review of existing design policies including the 1997 Design Guidelines and specific plans.
- Interactive workshops and exercises with community members and decision makers.
Design Review Committee Workshop | April, 2025 ←click to view slides
What We Heard:
- Ventura is eclectic. The city's character changes block-by-block.
- Human-scale design matters. Ventura is not defined by particular architectural styles, but by human-scale buildings and broken down mass and bulk
- Landmark buildings shape identity. Iconic civic, commercial, and historic buildings help define Ventura's character, not necessarily multi-family or mixed-use
- Context sensitive design is important. Design integrity established in new developments respond directly to surrounding context
Design Review Committee Workshop | July, 2025 ←click to view slides
What We Heard
- Support for citywide ODS
- Simplifying regulatory language. There was interest in making design standards easier to understand while respecting the city’s unique identity
- Importance of community involvement. Participants emphasized that continued community engagement will be critical throughout the ODS process
- Interest in sustainability and green building. Questions were raised about how ODS can promote sustainable design.
- Update to 1997 Design Guidelines. Existing Design Guidelines could benefit from a refreshed approach that reflect current priorities.
- Role of architectural styles. Discussion also included whether the ODS should specify architectural styles or focus on broader design principles.
Deliverable: Ventura Character Statement and Recommendations
Based on community engagement and research, the project team prepared Ventura Design Character Statement that outlines an overarching design framework for patterns, scales, proportions, colors, and materials based upon local conditions, character, and the forms of Ventura identity, resulting from community engagement. Corresponding to the Character Statement, the project team prepared a set of recommendations to foster citywide Ventura design character.
View Ventura Design Character Statement and Recommendations Here
PHASE II: VENTURA OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
Working Architect Group Meeting #1 | February 2026
What we heard:
- Clarity is needed. Participants discussed how ODS should align with Specific Plans, State law, and the Design Guidelines.
- ODS should be flexible and adaptable. There was interest in creating a “living” document that can evolve over time.
- The 1997 Design Guidelines need updating. Existing guidelines were seen as a useful foundation but in need of modernization.
- Design topics of interest. Key areas of focus include shadows, transitions between uses, color, sustainability, and outdoor space.
Working Architect Group Meeting #2 | March 2026
What we heard:
- Standards should be minimal and high-quality. ODS should not handcuff an architect’s creativity.
- Balance is needed between market forces and design quality. Participants discussed the importance of addressing both.
- Different approaches to structuring ODS were explored. Options like menu vs. scorecards were discussed as potential frameworks.
- Fire resiliency is an important consideration. There was interest in incorporating fire-resistant strategies into ODS.
- Design details matter. ODS included building wall and bay lengths, color, materiality, landscaping, and the use of vinyl windows.
Design Review Committee Meeting II | July 2025
Design Review Committee Meeting II | July 2025
Working Architect Group Meeting | February 2026