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Economic Development

The purpose of the Economic Development Element is to establish policies essential to the economic success of the City of Palmdale and its residents. This Element provides policy direction and metrics to grow and diversify the City’s economy and promote fiscal sustainability by attracting new businesses and residents, retaining, and nurturing existing industries, and expanding workforce development opportunities. Topics addressed in this chapter include jobs and workforce development, housing and community amenities, transportation and infrastructure investment and fiscal health.

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Chapter Highlights

City’s Economic Base. Palmdale’s economy is largely dependent on the aerospace industry. Diversification of its economic base by attracting new industries to locate here will improve fiscal resilience.

Film Jobs. Attraction of film, media and entertainment uses, particularly sound stages and post-production facilities are a City priority. Palmdale can leverage its location in the Secondary TMZ or Studio Zone to attract these jobs.

Housing. Lower housing costs have supported homeownership in the City, yet the limited development of new housing units, particularly multi-family units, has led to a lack of housing diversity.

Educational Opportunities. Expanding high-quality educational opportunities to better match existing residents with available and future well-paying jobs will help the improve household income.

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Goals and Policies

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Jobs and Workforce

ED-1.1 Attract manufacturing employers. Attract supply chain employers for the manufacturing and defense industries to strengthen Palmdale’s economic viability and competitiveness within these sectors.

ED-1.2 Employee serving amenities. Encourage the development of business and employee serving amenities (i.e., retail, dining, hospitality) proximate to existing districts.

ED-2.1 Attract high growth industries. Target economic activities from high growth industries, including film, media and entertainment production, and clean technologies, to diversify Palmdale’s economic base.

ED-2.2 Smart City technology. Maintain and enhance smart city technology in Palmdale to support local businesses and growth of telecommuting.

ED-2.3 Foreign Trade Zone. Position the existing Foreign Trade Zone designations to attract export-oriented employers.

ED-3.1 Higher education. Promote and expand higher educational opportunities in Palmdale.

ED-3.2 Workforce training. Support additional trade school training and apprenticeship programs for key growth industries for youth and local workforce.

ED-3.3 Childcare and early education. Promote opportunities for affordable, high-quality childcare and workforce-related early education.

ED-3.4 Workforce programs. Expand partnerships and workforce programs with public schools, vocational schools, community colleges, and major employers within Palmdale.

ED-3.5 Job matching. Connect residents with job opportunities in aerospace and other emerging sectors.

Aerial view of Courson Arts housing development.

Housing and Community Ownership

ED-4.1 Active downtown. Create a vibrant and active downtown environment, leveraging the Palmdale Transit Area Specific Plan to focus development.

ED-4.2 Community gathering. Leverage development to provide space for community gathering and events.

ED-4.3 Entertainment and retail. Increase opportunities for entertainment and/or shopping.

ED-4.4 Local business. Encourage and foster local businesses in Palmdale.

ED-4.5 Local businesses in downtown. Support local small businesses and legacy businesses to remain in or relocate to the downtown core.

ED-5.1 Affordable housing preservation. Encourage and preserve affordable housing for the residents of Palmdale.

ED-5.2 Supply and diversity of housing. Increase the supply and diversity of housing options to support different types of households including seniors, young adults, families, empty nesters, individuals or families with special needs, and multigenerational families.

ED-5.3 Transit-oriented development. Encourage transit-oriented development that meets community needs in the proposed downtown near the future multi- modal high speed rail station and at other transit nodes.

ED-5.4 Displacement. Address displacement issues due to redevelopment and large-scale capital projects.

ED-5.5 Assembly of parcels. Encourage assembly of small parcels via incentives to facilitate infill development.

Aerial view of Palmdale Boulevard.

Economic Development and Infrastructure

ED-6.1 Transportation investments. Support opportunities to bring more transportation investments such as a High-Speed rail station and opening commercial air services.

ED-6.2 Infrastructure investment. Prioritize infrastructure and development that unlocks economic investment around the City and increase usage of transportation facilities.

ED-6.3 Neighborhood transportation connections. Improve local transit and last mile connectivity between neighborhoods and regional transportation hubs/corridors.

ED-7.1 Regional partnerships. Initiate and sustain multi-jurisdictional partnerships to leverage regional assets.

ED-7.2 Development review process. Encourage new development through simplifying the City’s development review processes and exploring opportunities to create incentives for new development.

ED-7.3 Expand and diversify tax base. Expand tax base and analyze opportunities to diversify tax revenues to reduce the reliance on Sales and Use tax.

ED-7.4 Infrastructure financing. Explore and implement creative infrastructure financing and delivery mechanisms such as Public Private Partnerships and Community Benefit programs.

ED-7.5 Opportunity zone. Support the viability of the City’s Opportunity Zones to expand existing businesses and attract new investment.

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Desired Targets and Outcomes

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Air Quality

OUTCOME: Improved air quality for all residents.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Improved air quality with increased landscaping and trees.

TARGET:

  • Expanded tree canopy, especially in disadvantaged communities.

 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Reduced exposure to toxic air pollution from industrial facilities.

TARGET:

  • Increase in the percentage of housing units, especially in disadvantaged communities, with air pollution reduction features and other measures that eliminate pollutants.
  • Reduce smoking in public outdoor places in accordance with Ordinance No. 1580 and/or Ordinance No. 1571.
Health & Quality of Life

OUTCOME: Improved health and quality of life, and lower rates of chronic diseases, among all residents.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Greater opportunities for physical activity.

TARGET:

  • Increase in the proportion of residents living within a 20-minute walking distance from a dedicated public park, school, or multi-use trail.

 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Improved access to healthy food.

TARGET:

  • Increase in the proportion of residents living within a 20-minute walking distance of a grocery store, farmers market, community garden, or other healthy food retailer.
Housing

OUTCOME: Diverse housing options including mixed-use and affordable options, for existing and future residents.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Diversified housing stock in Palmdale.

TARGET:

  • Substantial increase in new multifamily housing units by 2045, 20% of which are affordable to families earning less than 80% of the area median income.
Equitable Economy

OUTCOME: An equitable local economy that provides career pathways and economic opportunities for existing residents, especially local youth.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:

  • Expanded economic opportunities for existing residents.

TARGET:

  • Increase in the number of youths who participate in job training programs and are connected to employment opportunities in local industries.
Vision Themes and Guiding Principles

Described below are values and direction for Palmdale 2045, set forth by the Palmdale community that chart a course for the future of the City. Vision themes paint a picture of what Palmdale will look like in the future, serving as a foundation for policies and implementation actions. While guiding principles provide further details on a vision theme and serve as a framework for future decision making. Together, the vision themes and guiding principles establish the basis for each element of Palmdale 2045, reflecting the unique needs and priorities for Palmdale residents. Through an extensive community engagement process, the vision themes and guiding principles were vetted by the community; initially prepared with input from the Palmdale General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), community members, and later confirmed by the Planning Commission and City Council.