These models delineates building location and height, streets, open space, anticipated “pipeline” projects, light rail transit routes, and designated historic structures and districts. About two dozen proposed projects have been modeled into the existing context to determine how they respond and what changes may be required of them.

Development codes, allowing increased intensity, from other cities such as Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, San Diego and Rincon Hill in San Francisco were researched as a basis for various visioning studies on how urban form should develop for Long Beach within the next 15 years. The results from these studies have informed the City on potential changes needed to the existing zoning standards within the downtown.