Preservation Vs. Vitality In Big Sur

Will land use restrictions and an aging population ultimately doom this forest community high above the California Coast?

1 minute read

March 16, 2004, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Big Sur's "population, at just over 800 people and falling, is lower than it was in the 1880s, when there was no highway and the only jobs available consisted of scraping for gold and knocking down trees... Beset by sky-high real estate prices, rich absentee landowners, restrictions on development and a shrinking, aging population, many residents fear their community is losing its vitality... Today, much of the private property has been put off limits to development."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Monday, March 15, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

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