Jeffrey Open Space and the Jeffrey Open Space Trail within it comprise a 96-acre area of parks and trails in

Irvine, California Irvine () is a master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 197 ...

. Approximately five miles in length, it primarily follows Jeffrey Road spanning nearly the entire city, from just past Portola Parkway in the north to the Quail Hill open space in the south for . Through a series of community meetings, Jeffrey Open Space was commissioned to be a centerpiece greenspace through the heart of Irvine, providing amenities to residents and visitors and connecting with other parks and trails at multiple points. Serving several communities developed by the

Irvine Company The Irvine Company LLC is an American private company focused on real estate development. It is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with a large portion of its operations centered in and around Irvine, California, a planned city of more ...

, the park design was commissioned to SWA Group landscape architects and was completed in stages in the mid-1990s.

Design and awards

Jeffrey Open Space has been voted one of Orange County's most popular parks, and won the Southern California Chapter Honor Award of the

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship ...

in 2009. SWA Group’s concept relies on classic landscape design principles of the venerated designer

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co ...

: simple, beautiful grading and plant massing along with creation of a sequential series of spaces. The native, rustic character of the planting material enhances the experience not only for trail users but also for daily commuters driving down Jeffrey Road. The design is meant to provide a fresh sense of place contrasting with the typical “clipped-lawn” character common to much of Orange County.SWA Group fact sheet
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References

Parks in Orange County, California Geography of Irvine, California