Mayor Farrah Khan delivered her final State of the City Address to discuss Irvine’s accomplishments and developmental goals at the Irvine Barclay Theater on March 19. The speech involved a reflection on 2023 achievements, her vision for 2024 and her legacy in the city.

In her address, Khan reiterated her commitment to economic development, police safety and health. She also referenced her environmental sustainability initiative, the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which involves achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, according to the City of Irvine.

“We are becoming a city that serves as an inspiration to other cities due to our innovative master planning that emphasizes sustainability, green spaces and community-oriented design,” Khan said. “Irvine’s success in creating a high quality of life, with top-tier educational institutions, a thriving economy and low crime rates, serves as a model for effective city management and development.”

The mayor’s speech followed music and dance performances by Arpana Dance Company, Viorhythm, Centered Kingdom Theatre Project and the Chinese Dance Company of Southern California, according to the City of Irvine. The performances praised the legacy and growth of Irvine through their lyrics and showcased students’ talents.

Khan also commended numerous capital improvement projects in her speech, such as the Great Park Framework Plan, a billion-dollar investment to add 300 acres of new amenities, according to the Orange County Register.

Khan effectively promoted a sense of community pride when discussing Irvine’s accomplishments, according to junior Mernan Ghoneim, who said that she is passionate about civic engagement.

“She is very positive and forward-thinking,” Ghoneim said. “I have always been big on voicing my opinions, and I think this address has given me good insight into what — as a citizen of Irvine — I should focus on in our own city. It should push everyone to do their own research on their communities in order to promote or criticize what is going on.”

Junior Ananya Vuppula said that she appreciated the mayor’s implementation of public accessibility initiatives, such as Irvine CONNECT, which is a free clean energy shuttle service. Citizens can also count on the mayor to provide opportunities for economic growth and support local businesses, according to Vuppula.

“She always has ideas that are really beneficial to our community,” Vuppula said. “She is a really good leader because everyone can count on her support for the programs, which benefit the growth of small businesses and events that people host as a whole.”

In the future, the city council hopes to create Irvine Accelerator, a partnership between the City of Irvine and Sunstone Management that will grant government assistance to individuals with promising startups, according to Khan.