Santa Monica has the coastline, global recognition and entrepreneurial history. But as the city looks toward its next chapter, a more pressing question is emerging - can it create the conditions necessary to attract investment, build housing and compete in an economy being transformed by technology?
That question framed the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce's 2026 Policy Conference last Thursday at the Colorado Center, where Congressman Ted Lieu joined leaders in architecture, real estate, hospitality and technology to examine the policies shaping the city's economic future.
Under the theme A Renaissance in Motion: Policy, Business & Santa Monica's Next Chapter, discussions centered on how Santa Monica can turn its competitive advantages into sustained economic growth.
Among the day's central discussions was Urban Planning: Rewriting the Rulebook, featuring architect Patrick Tighe, FAIA, FAAR, founder of Patrick Tighe Architecture, and Bruce Fairty, chief development officer of Cypress Equity Investments, moderated by urban development strategist Mott Smith of Amped Kitchens.
The session examined the evolving relationship between housing policy, development feasibility and the regulatory environment as California and Santa Monica confront growing pressure to deliver new housing. Tighe brought the perspective of an architect whose work spans affordable housing, mixed-use development and sustainable design. Fairty, with more than three decades of multifamily development experience, represented the financial and operational realities of moving projects from entitlement to construction. The discussion underscored a central challenge for Santa Monica: Approving housing is not the same as building it.
According to figures highlighted in the Chamber's conference materials, more than 2,300 homes have been approved in Santa Monica. Whether those approvals translate into completed projects will depend on financing, construction costs, regulatory certainty and market conditions.
For the city's broader economy, housing production is inseparable from workforce availability, neighborhood vitality and the ability of local businesses to attract and retain employees.
Congressman Ted Lieu brought a national policy dimension to the summit, describing artificial intelligence as a technological revolution with enormous promise but increasingly consequential risks. "At a very basic level, we don't understand them," Lieu said of large language models. "We literally don't understand how they get to their answer."
Lieu outlined his bipartisan AI Kill Switch Act, legislation intended to require developers of advanced AI systems to maintain the ability to slow or shut down models that exhibit dangerous or unexpected behavior. "For me, at a very basic level, humans must be in control of AI, not the other way around," he said.
The congressman compared AI oversight to automobile safety regulations, arguing that government should allow innovation while maintaining the ability to intervene when technologies create serious risks. "If it goes rogue, or if it's got capabilities you did not expect that could cause catastrophic harm, then you have to be able to slow it down or turn it off," Lieu said.
He expressed hope that the legislation could advance during Congress's lame-duck session this year or in the next congressional term. Lieu also raised concerns about autonomous AI agents capable of taking real-world actions, describing reported cybersecurity incidents as examples of the challenges facing technology companies and regulators.
His message was not that AI should be abandoned, but that its development must be accompanied by accountability. Lieu acknowledged that AI will eliminate some jobs while creating others, cautioning against predictions that entire professions will disappear. "I think there will be, in fact, job losses. There's also going to be job creation," he said. "It is super hard to know exactly where that happens."
He cited cybersecurity as an example of a growing field where increasingly sophisticated AI systems may create greater demand for human expertise. The implications are particularly relevant for Santa Monica, whose economy includes technology companies, entrepreneurs and creative industries navigating rapid changes in automation.
Lieu emphasized the importance of retraining and reskilling workers as technology advances. "I don't think AI is gonna replace jobs. I think people using AI are gonna replace jobs," he said.
The summit's technology panel, Innovation Agenda: Technology Shaping Santa Monica's Next Chapter, examined how autonomous vehicles, robotics and mobility technology are reshaping urban infrastructure. Moderated by Courtney Dong of Metropolis, the discussion featured Zach Rash of Coco Robotics, Kelly Schmandt Ferguson of Automotus, Ben Marcus of UP.Partners and Phil Pierce of Zoox.
Their work represents an expanding innovation economy in which artificial intelligence is moving beyond digital applications into transportation, delivery, curb management and everyday urban activity.
For Santa Monica, the policy challenge is how to accommodate emerging technologies while protecting public safety, supporting existing businesses and ensuring that innovation contributes to the city's economic vitality.
The city's visitor economy was another major focus. A panel moderated by Hunter G. Hall, executive director of Main Street Santa Monica, brought together Santa Monica Travel & Tourism CEO Misti Kerns, hotel executive Jon Farzam, hospitality consultant Paul Pruitt, Eddie Navarrette of FE Design & Consulting and Dan Fagan of URBANLIME Real Estate.
The discussion explored the future of Santa Monica's hospitality industry, including nightlife, beachfront activation and the conditions needed to support hotels, restaurants and small businesses.
Conference materials cited more than $1 billion in hospitality investment associated with preparations for upcoming major sporting events, even as hotel tax revenue declined last year.
The figures reflect both the scale of investment opportunities and the continuing pressure on a sector that supports jobs, public revenue and commercial district activity.
Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, opened the conference with a discussion of small business and the regional economy, while Santa Monica City Manager Oliver Chi was scheduled to address the city's commitments for the years ahead.
For Genevieve Morrill, who helped organize the conference during the Chamber's leadership transition, the gathering reflected both a renewed sense of purpose and momentum under new CEO Shana Epstein. "This conference was about what Santa Monica builds next, and the room was full of people ready to build it: business owners, developers, innovators, and the public officials who set the rules," Morrill said. "The Chamber's new CEO, Shana Epstein, has real momentum behind her. I've been proud to help bring this conference together during the transition. I can't think of a better moment to hand off and carry this work forward."
The issues raised throughout the summit are closely connected. Housing influences workforce availability. Hospitality depends on vibrant streets and accessible destinations. Innovation requires infrastructure and regulatory clarity, and small businesses need an environment in which they can grow. Santa Monica's next chapter will ultimately be measured not by the ambitions articulated at a conference, but by the housing built, businesses supported, investment attracted and improvements delivered.