I selected Downtown Santa Ana for this project. The area I scouted includes the Civic Center, Fourth Street Market Business district, and Artists Village area. My initial 5 force observations are Restoration, Surveillance, Spirituality, Gathering, and Homelessness.
1 – Restoration of Historic Structures
Santa Ana is one of the oldest cities in Orange County. There are many buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. An active Historical Preservation society maintains the histories of these buildings and advocates for the preservation and restoration of those that are left.
2 – Surveillance
At least 5 security surveillance poles have been installed within the last year throughout downtown Santa Ana. The poles are equipped with a camera at the top and at eye level, an emergency 911 call button, and an information request button. The video from the cameras feed back into a central command center. The cameras are part of the city’s response to rising crime in the city. They serve to provide reassurance to visitor’s safety and to protect the business interests of the developing and newly popular area.
3 – Spirituality, places of worship
Santa Ana is home to a high concentration of churches and places of worship within walking distance of each other, many of them congregating in historic buildings. Some of the religions represented include Catholics, Scientologists, Presbyterians, Christian Evangelicals, Methodists, and Pentecostals,
4 – Gathering places
The downtown area has many open areas that are host to various cultural and regional gatherings and celebrations throughout the year. These include poetry readings, band performances, art displays, food festivals, farmers markets, art walks, arts & crafts festivals, to name a few. Some venues also host competitive games such as the football stadium and the eSports Arena.
5 – Homelessness
Homelessness is a problem throughout Orange County but is most visible in Downtown Santa Ana. Within the last 5 years the city has seen an dramatic increase in the homeless population with many people camping out and living on public government property in the Civic Center area. Recently an abandoned transit center have been converted into a homeless shelter in the middle of downtown.