Development has started again in I.V., as new housing laws make it easier to build. At the same time, property owners are cutting back parts of homes on Del Playa as the cliff erodes and parking is even more tightly impacted. Where is I.V. headed? And what are some ways we can make it a better place to live?

This episode takes us into the quiet community garden, as well as the homes of long-term homeowners. How has Isla Vista changed from the eyes of people who see crops of students graduate each year? What was the impact of a major renovation that displaced dozens of long-term families? How can we look at I.V. from an artist’s perspective? And what’s with that uniquely shaped dome house?

One night in 1970, a fire broke out at the Bank of America. No one yet knows who set it. But it brought both police brutality and political engagement to Isla Vista. Why does I.V. have such a vast network of parks? Why isn’t I.V. a city? And decades later how did tragedy bolster support for the Community Services District, according to its founders?

Note: This episode contains discussion of a bomb incident (4:40 - 5:00) police brutality (5:54 - 8:20), rioting (5:54 - 8:20, 23:44 - 24:00), and mass murder (24:20 - 26:13). If you do not want to hear these parts, skip them.