“As master builders, we are blending architectural and planning skills, plus business and financial disciplines, to produce superbly balanced communities. I consider The Irvine Company land a quintessential opportunity and challenge for anyone in real estate.”

Donald Bren

My two primary areas of focus have been open-space conservation and education, and I expect those to remain my priorities in the future. The Irvine open space and parklands provide serenity and balance to our unique Orange County lifestyle.

orange unique two

Future public education will require involvement and collaboration among various local, civic, private and nonprofit entities, a concept I like to refer to as community entrepreneurship.

nonprofits collaboration community

I get great satisfaction from both business and philanthropy. by Donald Bren

I get great satisfaction from both business and philanthropy.

philanthropy satisfaction

Fulfilling the vision of the Irvine Ranch master plan has been a lifetime dedication and lifetime passion, and I am hopeful the heritage of our Irvine stewardship will live on in many new ways.

dedication hopeful passion

I do limit my exposure to the public. You only have so much time. by Donald Bren

I do limit my exposure to the public. You only have so much time.

exposure limits

In my opinion, education is the finest gift an individual can giv... by Donald Bren

In my opinion, education is the finest gift an individual can give a young person.

finest opinion giving

I really don't think in the past. I sit down with many friends at dinner, and they like to talk about the good old days. I'm respectful of the good old days, but I find myself spending very little time reminiscing. I'm really looking forward.

good myself dinner time

It's my view that solar energy may be the ultimate solution for energy for most of the world. I believe, based on what little I know about it, that there is a possibility of a breakthrough.

view energy believe world

I'm not a public official. I'm a businessman, I'm a builder, I'm... by Donald Bren

I'm not a public official. I'm a businessman, I'm a builder, I'm a planner.

official public builder businessman

My ultimate dream is for the Irvine Ranch to be known and celebrated as much for the outstanding communities we've planned and built as it is for what is not developed. The beneficiary being the 50,000 acres of undeveloped land that is now permanently preserved and conserved as Open Space and parklands.

being now space dream

When I first joined the Irvine Company, I realized that less than 11,000 acres were designated as open space in the original master plan, and that just didn't seem adequate to me. So, I began the lengthy process working with public and community organizations to add more open space.

me community space process

My first large-scale community development opportunity was the formation of the Mission Viejo Co. - a partnership with the O'Neill Family, who owned Rancho Mission Viejo. As the young president of the company, I had the responsibility for master planning, master building and implementing the new community's development plans.

building family community opportunity

When state funding for Irvine public schools began to diminish some time ago, my Irvine Company colleagues helped me to provide private funding support for continuation of basic science, art and music programs that had been eliminated by lack of state funding.

me music science art

Newport Center has become a Mediterranean town. The climate here is the same as the Mediterranean's, and so is the architecture. This center exudes a radiance, an energy. It will become a special way of life for everyone.

architecture energy life way

At the end of the day, the Irvine Co. is slowly being transformed. Our long-term goal is to transform what was once an agricultural company to a development company, and to that, the next, final step is to create a large real estate investment company.

end-of-the-day end step day