Space to breathe
On July 6, 2026, the City of Carlsbad broke ground on its 43rd park for our fair city, the Veterans Memorial Park. Located off Faraday Avenue near Canon Road, Veterans Memorial Park will cover 94 acres in total, with 53 of those acres being dedicated as protected open-space habitat. This will be a great addition to Carlsbad. This community asset will include a large Veterans Memorial Plaza with memorial art, multiple picnic areas, large playgrounds, a bike park, trails, viewpoints, and more.
Carlsbad’s overall supply of parks includes many special uses as well, such as dog parks and skate parks. And community space is not just on city property here in Carlsbad. Developers frequently seek to add to our quality of life when they plan future projects. We recently saw the plans for a mixed-use development in south Carlsbad that will include significant green space, fire pits, and community gathering hubs (think outdoor concerts).
Also enhancing our quality of life here in Carlsbad are over 43 miles of hiking trails. Add to that our beaches, lagoons, great schools, and our 715+ acres of habitat preserve, and you know why so many people desire to live here. And we at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce are not the only ones who recognize how great it is to live in Carlsbad. Numerous publications have included Carlsbad in lists such as, Best Cities to Live in America (#21, Niche), Best Cities to Raise a Family (#14, Niche), Best Cities to Retire (#18, Niche), America’s Most Playful Cities (#2, Best Places), and one of my favorites, Best Cities for Teleworking (#4, Best Places).
Carlsbad also has a vibrant corporate climate. According to PatentLeaderboard.com, Carlsbad has nearly 25,000 patents attributed to Carlsbad-based inventors. That puts Carlsbad in the top 1% of cities worldwide for patenting activity. Most of those patents are from Carlsbad staples such as
TaylorMade, Viasat, and Thermo Fisher. 
Carlsbad’s crime rate also fares well when compared to other cities of our size. While crime rates do fluctuate from year to year, in particular, our violent crime rate is exceedingly low for a city of over 100,000 residents. According to HomeSnacks.com, Carlsbad’s violent crime rate is 45% lower than the national average and 60% lower than the California state average. The only cities with a lower violent crime rate in our area were Solana Beach and Del Mar. However, Del Mar only boasts a population of 3,841 people, and Solana Beach has under 13,000 residents.
If you are fortunate, like I am, to drive by the Veterans Memorial Park site regularly and you get to see the earth start moving, let it serve as a reminder of what a great place we have to live, work, and play.