Community Design Workshop — Downtown Manhattan Beach

The City of Manhattan Beach is hosting the Project Pulse Community Design Workshop on Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31, 2026, at the Joslyn Community Center in Live Oak Park. The hands-on workshop invites Manhattan Beach residents and community members to help shape the future of two city-owned downtown properties: Parking Lot 3 and 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Both workshop sessions cover the same material. Drop in to either day, no registration required.

About Project Pulse. Project Pulse is the City of Manhattan Beach’s community-engagement initiative for downtown planning. The two properties under study are both in the downtown core and are being evaluated for reuse and redevelopment. These May workshops are the city’s primary opportunity for residents to weigh in on what should happen with both parcels. Past Project Pulse sessions have used design exercises, mapping activities, scenario voting, and small-group conversations with city planners and consultants. The May workshops will be in a similar hands-on format with food, kids’ activities, and a relaxed community feel rather than a formal council-style hearing.

Why this matters. Downtown MB has had limited public-facing redevelopment over the last two decades, and decisions made now about these two parcels will shape the parking, public space, retail mix, building heights, and street life of downtown for the next generation. If you have thoughts about parking, walkability, public plazas, the downtown retail mix, or anything else about how downtown should evolve, this is the workshop to attend. The city is actively seeking a broad cross-section of community input; renters, homeowners, parents, business owners, and longtime residents are all welcome.

Family-friendly format. Both sessions are designed for residents of all ages. Activities, food, and a community-event setup are part of the day. The Joslyn Community Center sits at 1601 N Valley Drive inside Live Oak Park, the 9-acre park on Valley Drive that also hosts six lighted tennis courts, basketball and multi-purpose fields, picnic areas, and the city’s annual Hometown Fair each October. Free street parking is available along Valley Drive and the surrounding residential blocks. The drop-in format lets you spend 30 minutes or the full three hours, depending on what works for your day.

Project Pulse materials, background on the two properties under consideration, and additional engagement opportunities are at manhattanbeach.gov/projectpulse.

More info: manhattanbeach.gov/projectpulse