LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
0SPUR SPUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Anne Halsted Executive Vice Chair David Friedman Vice Chairs Alexa Arena Andy Barnes Emilio Cruz Bill Rosetti Lydia Tan v. Fei Tsen Secretary Mary Mccue Treasurer Bob Gamble Immediate Past Co-Chair Linda Jo Fitz Advisory Council Co-Chairs Michael Alexander Paul Sedway
Board Members Carl Anthony Veronica Bell Chris Block Larry Burnett Michaela Cassidy Madeline Chun Charmaine Curtis Oz Erickson Manny Flores Geoff Gibbs Gi llian Gillett Chris Gruwell Ed Harrington Dave Hartley Aidan Hughes Chris Iglesias Laurie Johnson V.J. Kumar Susan Leal Dick Lonergan John Madden Jacinta Mccann Hyrdra Mendoza Ezra Mersey Terry Micheau Mary Murphy Jeanne Myerson Adhi NagraJ
Brad Paul Rich Peterson Chris Poland Teresa Rea Byron Rhett Rebecca Rhine Wade Rose Paul Sedway Victor Seeto Elizabeth Seitel Carl Shannon Chi-Hsin Shao Doug Shoemaker Ontario Smith Bill Stotler Stuart Sunshine Michael Teltz Mike Theriault Will Travis Jeff Tumlin Molly Turner Steve Vettel Francesca Vietor Fran Weld Allison Williams Cynthia Wilusz Lovell Cindy Wu
CHAIRS & COMMITTEES Program Commltt11s Ballot An ly~ls Bob Gamble Disaster Pl nnlng Laurie Johnson Chris Poland Housing Ezra Mersey Lydia Tan Project Review Charmaine Curtis Mary Beth Sanders Reuben Schwartz Tran ·portallon Anthony Bruzzone Water Polley Bry Sarte
Regional Planning Larry Burnett Libby Seitel Optr1tlng Commltltts Audit John Madden Building Hanagem .nt Larry Burnett
Finance Bob Gamble Human Resources Mary Mccue Individual Membership Bill Stotler Investment Ann Lazarus Major Donors Linda Jo Fitz Anne Halsted
Business Membership Tom Hart Terry Micheau
Planned Giving Michaela Cassidy
Executive David Friedman Anne Halsted
Sliver SPUR Dave Hartley Teresa Rea
SAN JOSE ADVISORY BOARD Teresa Alvarado Andy Barnes Chris Block J. Richard Braugh Larry Burnett Brian Darrow Gordon Feller
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Garrett Herbert Karla Rodriguez Lomax James MacGregor Connie Martinez Janine Mccaffery Anu NataraJan
Dr. Mohammad Oayouml Robert Steinberg, FAIA Lydia Tan Kim Walesh Jessica Zenk
Making Historic Preservation Work in San Francisco San Francisco is celebrated for its progressive history, distinctive architecture and phenomenal geography. Its buildings have been endlessly admired : the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square, the gracious Victorian and Edwardian structures found in so many neighborhoods, and the fabulous City Hall capped with a golden dome. The city also has a rich cultural history - it 's home to waves of immigrants from Latin America, China, Japan, the Philippines and many other countries; Sarah Karlinsky a beacon for the gay rights movement; and the birthplace of the radical is SPUR's Deputy culture of the 1960s, which put the corner of Haight and Ashbury on the Director map. San Francisco has much to be proud of and much to preserve. San Francisco is one of the major centers in the region. Its population - currently about 800,000 - is expected to grow to nearly 1 million by 2035 . The Bay Area as a whole is expected to add roughly 1.5 million people with in that same time frame . The question of where all these people will live is one we need to answer. New homes and businesses will need to be built to accommodate this growth, and it's important to the economic and environmental health of the Bay Area that they be built not at the fringe of the reg ion but in cities and neighborhoods with strong transit infrastructure. San Francisco Architectural Heritage and SPUR teamed up to write this report on the historic preservation process in San Francisco. Our report is rooted in two core values: first, that it is critical to protect the historic fabric of San Francisco, and second, that it is also critical to support growth and change in the right locations. Done right, historic preservation is an effective tool for shaping growth in existing built environments and can assist in achieving the city's goals regarding growth. One example is San Francisco's 1985 Downtown Plan, which preserved many fine historic bu ildings while allowing for transitoriented development in the downtown core. Our report discusses three aspects of historic preservation: surveys, which are used to identify historic resources; historic districts, which provide regulations that protect historic resources ; and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which is used to identify environmental impacts, including impacts to historic resources. We hope this report will help create rules and guidelines that are clear, fair and transparent. resulting in a preservation process that works better for everyone. In this issue, we are excited to present a dazzling array of provocative examptes of historic preservation. from the dramatic juxtaposition of old and new in the Daniel Liebeskind-designed Contemporary Jewish Museum to the rehabilitated Ferry Building, which instantly became a magnet for tourists and locals alike. This mi xture of old and new is the lifeblood of any city and can be seen in many forms : we invite you to enjoy it on the streets of our city, in these pages and on view at "Adapt, Transform, Reuse," an exhibit at SPUR's Urban Center through August 30. To read the report, go to: spur.org/ preservation• Cover photo by Ethan Kaplan. The Urbanist is edited by Allison Arieft and designed by Shawn Hazen, hazencreative.com.
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News at
SPUR Reforms to SF's City Budget Are Working As the economy continues to expand, revenue for city services increases too. But in addition to the size of the budget - $7.9 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1 we are benefitting from many positive financial planning reforms that the city has put in place over the past five years - often at SPUR's urging. As of this writing, the Board
On June 20th, close to 1,500 urbanists
of Supervisors is debating the mayor's proposed budget,
came to SPUR's member party to celebrate their city.
but we can say that the mayor has proposed to invest an unprecedented level of General Fund resources in the city's infrastructure ($190 million in total), including fully funding the city's annual needs for street repair for the first time in modern history ($40 million). The city is also setting aside money in several different "rainy day" reserve funds to
had a similar focus in Silicon Valley. SPUR is hopeful that these meetings can lead to greater opportunity and prosperity in the region.
help weather an inevitable future economic downturn. And finally, we are now on a two-year budget process, requiring greater financial discipline on the part of City Hall.
SPUR Helps Set the Agenda for the Economic Future of the Bay Area SPUR helped host two major regional economic summits in May: one with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the other with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. These gatherings were part of a series of 16 regional meetings held throughout California as part of an economic development THE URBANIST
process that will lead to a statewide conference later this year. In San Francisco, SPUR's Regional Planning Director Egon Terplan presented on the HUD Grant Prosperity Strategy and the challenges of connecting lowand-moderate income workers to middle-income jobs, while SPUR's Executive Director Gabriel Metcalf discussed infrastructure and transportation needs across the Bay Area . The conversation
SPUR Team Kicks Off Ocean Beach Transportation Plan SPUR has selected a consulting team to lead its Ocean Beach transportation analysis project. The team of Nelson/ Nygaard and AECOM brings a combination of vision, design capacity and technical prowess to the job. This project will develop and analyze the roadway and access recommendations in the Ocean Beach Master Plan , which include rerouting the Great Highway behind the San Francisco Zoo and replacing it with a coastal trail. For more information on the master plan , see www.spur.org/ initiative/ ocean-beach-master-plan .
SPUR Releases Recommendations to Transform the San Francisco Housing Authority The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) is currently in crisis. There is no permanent director, and the mayor has completely reconstituted the Housing Authority board . In addition, the SFHA has a significant structural operating deficit that is only projected to increase over time, as well as insufficient funds to cover badly needed capital improvements. SPUR has released a set of recommendations to help ensure that the city provides highquality housing and services to SFHA residents in a way that is financially sustainable in the long term. To read the recommendations, go to spur.erg/ housingauthority •
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Adapt, Transform,
Reuse Making use of the past can serve as a guide to the future of the city.
Great cities are built in layers: New buildings can help
reinforce older urban forms and old buildings can be reimagined to serve new uses. It is the juxtaposition of old and new that gives cities their interesting corners, their urban surprises, their texture. Imagine a city where time has stopped - no new buildings are allowed to be built, and the ones that do exist must retain their original use. Such a city would lose its vitality due to lack of change. Imagine another city where no old buildings or forms are retainedeverything is torn down and built new. This second city would also lack vitality but for another reason because it has no history, no soul. At its best, historic preservation is a tool for managing change by finding new uses to reanimate old buildings and assuring that new construction relates to its surroundings. Sometimes, however, preservation solutions are born of conflict and result路 in compromises that do not serve either the past or the present. Historic preservation traces its roots to fine arts conservation. The notion of preserving treasures for civic benefit eventually expanded from painting and sculpture to buildings, landscapes, and places of significant cultural memory. People have passionate feelings about their environment, sometimes expressed as a love for the buildings or landscapes that currently surround them, other times as a desire for change. Land use policy is one lens through which these often-conflicting desires resolve themselves. Preservation can speak 4
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Summary: The juxtaposition of
old and new enhances our urban fabric, amplifying the layers of history that define great cities. Reimagining old buildings has lead to the creation of some of San Francisco's most loved places, from the Women's Building to Mint Plaza to the new Exploratorium.
By SPUR and San Francisco Architectural Heritage
to immediate concerns about the value of places that are special to people today, serving as a guide not just to the past, but also to the future of the city. We celebrate the mixture of old and new as the lifeblood of any city. These mixtures can be seen in many forms: Adaptive Reuse -'- when old buildings are repurposed for a use that they were not originally designed to serve.
Photo by D.H. Parks (Flickr), above; photo courtesy David Baker Architects, facing page
Incorporation - when elements of old buildings are incorporated into new buildings. This category includes spolia (when bits and pieces of buildings are preserved), facadism (when the facade of a historic structure is retained路 but the rest of the building is replaced) and encapsulation (when a historic building is kept in its original location but surrounded on all sides with newer, bigger construction).
Adapt/Transform/Reuse Task Force
when something new responds to, but does not mimic the old. The contrast between old and new defines and amplifies the qualities of both. This can be seen in additions to existing buildings, in infill construction within a historic context and in the relationship of new buildings to older urban forms such as alleys or piers. Juxtaposition -
Mike Buhler, San Francisco Architectural Heritage Jeremy Blakeslee, Jeremy Blakeslee Photography Noah Christman, SPUR Laura Dominguez, San Francisco Architectural Heritage
San Francisco has many examples of adaptive reuse, incorporation and juxtaposition, which we explore in the 14 examples below.
Sarah Karlinsky, SPUR Chandler McCoy, Presidio Trust Willett Moss, CMG Landscape Architecture
THE URBANIST
Adaptive Reuse San Francisco has many fine examples of old buildings being used for new purposes. This process, known as adaptive reuse, is not new to the city. In the 1950s, Jackson Square became one of the country's earliest examples of adaptive reuse on a neighborhood scale when the former warehouse district was recast as a premier "design district." Similar projects soon followed, including the transformation of Ghirardelli Square (a former chocolate factory) into a festival marketplace in the early 1960s. Adaptive reuse enables buildings with great bones to enjoy new life. All of the examples highlighted here involve some alteration to the interiors of structures to accommodate new uses - be it offices, restaurants. residential or retail. Attention to detail and a desire to be respectful of the past while embracing the future, are hallmarks of a successful adaptive reuse project. THE URBANIST
Clocktower Building Converting this former factory into apartments introduced San Francisco to the New York-style loft, foreshadowing the transformation of the South of Market area and demonstrating the tremendous potential to reuse industrial buildings as housing. The architect retained the bare concrete columns, rough wood beams and steel windows as part of the building's aesthetic character. Planted interior courtyards and dramatic stairs and bridges provide contemporary elements that contrast with the historic factory's heavy rectilinear form. Original builder: Unknown (1907) Contemporary architect: David Baker (1992)
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Adaptive Reuse
Jackson Square The 1950s transformation of.Jackson
Jackson Square pioneered adaptive reuse
Square from a warehouse district into the
on a neighborhood scale. In 1955, a reviewer
city 's foremost design district came about
in Architect & Engineer proclaimed, "It
because prescient developers saw the
takes imagination, daring and faith to
value in retaining the neighborhood as a
see a blighted city area and visualize the
whole. During an era when urban change
possibilities of its renaissance."
was often implemented with a bulldozer,
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Photos by Jeremy Blakeslee
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Adaptive Reuse
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The Exploratorium The Exploratorium's recent move to Pier 15 reaffirms the unique appeal of the city's defunct finger piers as catalysts for revitalization of the historic waterfront. The museum, housed within the original bulkhead and pier building, accommodates four spacious galleries. The glass-and-steel Bay Observatory - the only new structure on the site - innovatively unites the Embarcadero with the bay.
Original architects: G.A. Wood, H.B. Fisher, A.W. Nordwell (1930s)
Contemporary architect: EHDD (2013) Preservation architect: Page & Turnbull Photos by Bruce Damonte .
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Adaptive Reuse
Photos by Ethan Kaplan
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THE URBANIST
House of Air The U.S. Army's former airplane hangars on
cavernous structure, with the architect riffing
Crissy Field posed a complex rehabilitation
on its aviation history to produce a bright,
challenge for the Presidio Trust. Fortunately,
playful interior where people can literally
the House of Air, a trampoline gymnasium,
take flight - if only for a moment.
offered a new use that capitalized on this hangar's large, open interior, steel
Original builder路 U.S. Army (1921)
trusses and slightly gritty character. New
Contemporary architect: Mark Horton
components were skillfully placed within the
Architects (2011)
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ADAPT/TRANSFORM/REUSE
Incorporation The Modernist movement of the 1960s and early 1970s saw little value in old buildings and sought to replace what they saw as "obsolete" or "unhygienic" districts with a fundamentally new pattern. This resulted in the demolition of old buildings . Urban renewal initiatives were predicated on the idea of "slum clearance" to remove substandard housing, which led to the demolition of entire neighborhoods-both the buildings themselves and the social networks of the people who occupied them. The historic preservation movement emerged out of a desire to respond to these practices and assert the value of older buildings and of traditional urban patterns, with San Francisco enacting its first Landmarks Preservation Ordinance in 1967. As preservation took root, more buildings were saved. However, sometimes only bits and pieces, rather than whole buildings, were preserved. One approach was to salvage building fragments known as "spolia ." Another common practice, "facadism" retained only the historic facade while replacing all that once stood behind it. "Encapsulation" kept a historic building in its original location but surrounding it on all sides with new construction . Spolia, facadism and encapsulation are controversial practices. While many wonderful pieces of original fabric have been saved through these actions, their historical context can be radically altered or destroyed. The most contentious example of both spolia and incorporation in San Francisco is the former City of Paris department store on Union Square. After a four-year preservation battle, the Beaux Arts icon was demolished in 1981, with the exception of the historic rotunda. Today the rotunda is suspended in glass and concrete as the grand entry piece to architect Philip Johnson 's Neiman Marcus at the same location . While not orthodox from a historic preservation perspective, incorporation practices continue today, sometimes with provocative results.
Neiman Marcus After an impassioned fight to save Union Square's City of Paris, the iconic Beaux Arts department store was torn down in 1981. Only its rotunda and glass dome were spared, now encased in glass as a highly provocative entry feature for the granite-covered box designed by Philip Johnson. A conspicuous and controversial example of spolia, the Neiman Marcus building could nonetheless find itself in the ironic position of being deemed "historic" in the future for its association with the legendary architect. Original architects: John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown (1896 and 1909) Contemporary architect: Philip Johnson Photo by Jeremy Blakeslee
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(1982)
THE URBANIST
California Academy of Sciences When the Academy of Sciences announced
Original architect of African Hall:
plans to replace its former facility in
Unknown, 1934
Golden Gate Park with a new building, it promised to retain the beloved African Hall, with its dioramas and traditional barrelvaulted space. Leaving only two original
Contemporary architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop with Gordon Chong (2008)
limestone walls tested the value of retaining such a small fragment of the original building. The strong contemporary design of the new building, beautifully conceived by Italian architect Renzo Piano, engulfs the two historic limestone walls and provides a modern replica of the original African Hall.
Photo by Jeremy Blakeslee
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Juxtaposition Some of the most exciting examples of adaptive reuse in San Francisco highlight strong contrasts between older buildings and contemporary additions. Consider the Contemporary Jewish Museum, formerly the Jessie Street Substation, where an iridescent blue cube has been inserted into the side of Willis Polk's classical brick structure. The juxtaposition between old and new helps reinforce the qualities of both.
The construction of a new building next to an old building also brings possibilities for transformation . The recently completed addition to 1 Kearny (shown on page 19), respects the rhythm and scale of its multigenerational neighbors without mimicking them . Its roof garden is successful not only as thoughtfully constructed open space, but also for its stunning views of the historic parapet next door.
San Francisco Art Institute The original Mediterranean Revival art school by Bakewell and Brown rendered traditional elements, like its tower and arcaded courtyard , in a modern material: boardformed concrete. The 1969 addition continues with concrete but abandons traditional ism for architectural abstraction. Each (the original and the addition) is a product of its own era, and each represents thoughtful design. One is inward-facing, while the other turns outward to embrace the city. Though strikingly different, the two halves hold together as an integrated whole. Original architects: Bakewell and Brown (1925) Contemporary architect: Pafford KeatingeClay (1969)
Photos by Jeremy Blakeslee
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ADAPT/TRANSFORM/REUSE .
Juxtaposition
Photo by Jeremy Blakeslee
Mint Plaza Once a derelict urban alley, Mint Plaza is nestled between the Old Mint and several historic warehouses. The space has been transformed into a lively public plaza and cultural venue. A simple ground plane unifies the plaza, while a steel arbor balances the towering warehouses to the north and the lower neoclassical facade of the Mint building to the south. The climbing vines on the arbor bring extensive greenery to the heart of the plaza and provide a canopy for al fresco diners. Contemporary Architect: CMG Landscape Architecture (2008)
Photo by Jeremy Blakeslee
178 Townsend Located in the South End Historic District. the recently completed 178 Townsend project added four stories and 94 rental housing units behind the edifice of the former Arc Light Company Station B building. A sleek glass structure was inserted into the original masonry building, juxtaposi ng materials and volumes. The addition demonstrates the emergence of new urban textures and achieves harmony between old and new. Original architects: Frederick F. Hamilton and George W. Percy (1888) Contemporary architect: HKS and Martin Building Co. (2012)
Photo by Jeremy Blakeslee
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Change is the Only Constant Heraclitus' famous phrase "No man ever steps into the same river twice" could equally apply to a city street, a park or a building . Change is constantly occurring, and people tend to have strong opinions about adjustments to the urban landscape. For centuries, architects have grappled with the question of how an individual building should relate to its surrounding context. Should it be a singular object, addressing its own set of needs unrelated to its site, or should it blend in as an element of a larger composition? Throughout the history of architecture, the different ways of answering this question have led to an astounding diversity of built work, and examples of both good design and poor design can be found in each category. Architects have passionately argued their views through their designs and in written manifestos from Vitruvius ' Ten Books on Architecture to Adolph Loos' Ornament Is Crime. In cities, change takes place incrementally, one building or cluster of buildings at a time - a single stitch in the urban fabric . For any particular intervention, the architect is confronted with the choice of creating either an object or a contextually sensitive design . This choice is a difficult one, particularly in San Francisco, where regulations controlling development are not synchronous with emerging policy. Current smart-growth principles encourage increased density in transit cores, yet any major new building proposed must satisfy outdated regulations established when urban growth was anathema. As a consequence, many existing buildings exceed current legislated height and bulk limits, which makes change nearly impossible without spot zoning or special concessions. The issue of blending in or sticking out becomes 18 JULY 2013
When it comes to mixing old and new, one person's outrage is another's delight.
By Charles Bloszies
more important when a new structure is juxtaposed against an old one, especially when that old building is an important landmark. Historically significant buildings tend to be located in areas where smart growth would dictate increased density and where real estate is extremely valuable. The economic drivers for urban change often lead to sites where the only solution is to adapt, repurpose, transform or expand an existing building. In these cases, how the new proposal relates to the old is the principal design driver. For the past few decades, it has been conventional wisdom in the United States that when modifying an existing structure, architects should make sure that the new features are easily recognizable and differentiated from the old but are also consistent with them in character. This is very difficult to pull off. Most often , the new is a mere cartoon of the old or, worse, a banal design based on fear of offending anyone. Background buildings are necessary, to be sure, since without them there would be no foreground , but simplistic approaches to fusing new with old are rarely successful. Many architects would agree that a building should reflect the cultural and social activity of its time. Good designs have a kind of embedded time stamp that serves to record architectural history as it happens. Thus, when altering an existing building , it is important to differentiate between new and old; indeed, it can be argued that the contrast between an existing structure and a new intervention heightens the appreciation of both . Opinions diverge, however, on how to achieve a meaningful level of differentiation. Extreme contrast can be jarring and appear out of balance, but overly subtle contrast is equally problematic. Architects
Composed of three fused-together buildings representing distinct eras, 1Kearny is a masterwork of sympathetic urban architecture. Through its classical composition and sensitive materials, the 2009 addition, designed by the author, takes cues from both the original French Renaissance Revival building designed by William Curlett in 1902 and the mid-century annex by Charles Moore, yet its texture is carefully distinguished from those older buildings. The roof garden is shown bottom right.
Charles Bloszies, Principal of the Office of Charles F. Bloszies, AIA, is the author of Old Buildings, New Designs: Architectural Transformations.
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tend to worry about this a lot, in contrast to the general public, many of whom would prefer that new buildings mimic the styles of familiar old buildings a never-ending supply of architectural comfort food. In exceptional circumstances, like restoration of a historic building, exact replication of an archaic style can be valid, and of course there are landmark structures that should not be altered at all. However, a design that clearly expresses its time, even when fused to an existing building from a different era, is more satisfying. Most new designs that create some visual tension between new and old are controversial; one person 's outrage is another's delight. Could stricter (and clearer) design guidelines help avoid turmoil? Probably not, since guidelines usually advocate for a specific viewpoint. stifle creative thinking and lead to insipid solutions. As the building designs in this edition of The Urbanist illustrate, there are many valid approaches that can yield thoughtful and enduring outcomes. No single philosophy can be universally applied - and those who espouse a particular attitude could be more tolerant of other approaches. Existing buildings have always played an important part in the evolution of the urban environment. and many cities have tolerated transformation of the building stock better than San Francisco. If increased density in the transit core truly becomes the city 's sustainable growth policy, more existing structures will be transformed, adapted, repurposed and expanded. Some have outlived their useful lives and will need to be altered completely or even demolished. A livable, sustainable city must be able to absorb and embrace this transformation. Change is undeniably the only constant. THE URBANIST
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UNBUILT SF
A Garden Imagined In the 1970s, the redevelopment of Yerba Buena Center - and the resulting demolitions and evictions that followed - led to lawsuits that contributed to the end of federal urban renewal programs. From its initial stages, through court intervention, to a protracted negotiation that resulted in today 's mi xture of arts, open space, convention uses. and affordable housing, the Yerba Buena site was the subject of a long series of design schemes reflecting the ambitions and controversies at play. In 1980, with several court-mandated affordable housing projects complete and the Moscone Convention Center under construction , a team led by developers Olympia and York won the right to develop the core parcels and associated public spaces. The late Bay Area landscape architect Lawrence Halprin was hired to develop a series of themed public gardens linking adjacent cultural uses, in stark contrast to earlier fortress-like proposals . THE URBANIST
This 1983 sketch from Halprin's notebooks, imagines a Chinese Garden for the site. It was to have been located along Third Street, across from what is now San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (which was still unplanned at the time). Halprin's plan drawings reveal that the garden's orientation is the opposite of a traditional Chinese garden, in which feng shui principles dictate entry from the south . While Halprin's garden was never realized , the overall Yerba Buena Gardens scheme was.
SAVE THE DATE!
Unbuilt San Francisco Exhibition Opening September 6, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Annie Alley, between 678 and 654 Mission Street, San Francisco
You can see more unbuilt San Francisco this fall: SPUR, AIA San Francisco, Center for Architecture+ Design, Environmental Design Archives at UC Berkeley, the California Historical Society and the San Francisco Public Library present Unbuilt San Francisco, a collaborative exhibition on view from August - November 2013 . •
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URBAN FIELD NOTES
For San Francisco residents, steep inclines have become part of the everyday urban fabric. It's easy to overlook how the topography once divided the city. Historically, the peaks were a matter of wealth and accessibility. Only the rich could afford to live atop these scenic perches; the rest of the population wondered how to traverse them before the cable car was introduced . Today there are numerous infrastructures, pathways and transportation modes that have been integrated with San Francisco's hills so that the urban environment and the natural landscape blend more seamlessly with each other. Easier accessibility has lessened - though not eliminated - the privilege divide. Though our legs may tell us something different on the ascent, these hills are no longer something to be conquered but rather are integrated into our daily patterns of living.
rl Twin Peaks (Transit) -
In 1918 the Twin Peaks tunnel opened. taking 20 minutes off of trolley commutes from Sloat Boulevard to Kearny Street. Currently, it is one of the longest light-rail tunnels in the world , running all the way from Market and Castro Streets to West Portal. The Twin Peaks tunnel enabled new neighborhoods to be developed. including Balboa Terrace, Forest Hill. West Portal , St. Francis Wood and Westwood Park.
IJ Telegraph Hill -
(Walkability) Since 1933, Coit Tower has been a singular presence on the iconic San Francisco Bay skyline. A
major tourist destination with easy access from downtown, it invites city wanderers to come straight to its lookout point undeterred by the long walk up. To reach the tower by foot one must walk its spiral road and climb a set of stairs.
B Nob Hill & Russian Hill (Neighborhood) Nob Hill's moniker originates from the slang term "Nabobs," referring to the political elite and wealthy. It's no wonder that these neighborhoods have always been desirable places to live; both hills offer brilliant panoramas of the Bay. Many sidewalks are tilted at nearly 90
degrees. and there are countless hidden staircases to discover and climb.
[!J Mount Davidson (Recreational) - At 938 feet, Mount Davidson is the highest point in San Francisco and is abundant with natural flora and fauna. Blue gum eucalyptus trees were planted in the early 19th century and they now provide a mini forest of over 30 acres amid the urban environment.
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the Pacific Ocean - and dips down onto the Great Highway. On the map there is no designated name for this hill, but the names Lands End and the Cliff House convey the topography. Cyclists know the area well; it's part of the San Francisco Bicycle Route 95, which extends along the western coast of the city. There is no way of anticipating this incline while viewing a street map. You need to experience it for yourself. •
Lands End/Cliff House -
(Cycling, Walking) Point Lobos Avenue curves around the edge of the Outer Richmond - just above
Andrea Dumovich is a Guest Concierge at the California Historical Society and a former SPUR development intern.
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New Members Karim Aboud David Alderman Peter Allen Victor Amporndanai Francisco Arias Avi Asherov Eric Avner Chuck Ayala Maude Baggette Thu Banh Wayne Barcelon Trafton Bean Casey Beckstrom lvria Ben-Or Chaska S. Berger Kate Bickert Chris Block Mark Bolton Greg Bonderud Martin Bournhonesque Vikki Bowes-Mok Charles Boyd Alex Brant-Zawadzki John Brazil Chet Brians Alan Bright John Britton Kara Brodgesell Kristen Brodgesell Greta Brownlow Peter Bryan David Buchholz Caitlin Bush Thomas Cal Howard Cameron Steaven Campbell John DCarpenter
THE URBANIST
Justin Castilla Mark Cate Andrew Catterall Daryl Chan Catherine Chang Melanie Cheng Gordon Childress Celeste Chin Albert MChing Miranda Chiu Sophie Chou Jeff Chuang Amy Teresa Chung Keith Cich Anagha Dandekar Clifford Brandon Cline Elisha Cohen Travis Cole Heather Coleman Jeff Condit Richard Conniff Courtney Cooper Matthew Crane Aoife Crofts Lindsay D'Andrea Sheryl Davis Irvin Dawid Catie Delay Kate Didech Darin F. Dinsmore Mark Donahue Allison M. Doyle Laura Dulski Stephanie Duncan Kristy Dutch Christina Eddings Karen Edwards
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Gayle Tsern Strang Meghan Storm Stephanie Strawhacker Robert Sturdivant Carlo Sturken Jesse Sung Lynn Sywolski Nabih Tahan Nicholas Tapia
Sharon Farrell Kevin Feeney Tom Feeney Shannon Ferguson Steve Ferrero Nicole Franklin Alexandra Fraser Catherine Frazier Christine Fukasawa Sharon Gadberry & Richard Rappaport Margaret Galvin Bonnie Gershkon Joel Gershkon Geeta Gharpure Nora Gilbert Raminderjit Gill Calder Gillin Wanda Ginner Melissa Godfrey Niloufar Golkarihagh Ben Golvin Alexis Gonzales Edward Graves Barrie Grenell Sara Grimes Bob Grimm Donald Grinberg Anisse Gross Leslee Hamilton Heidi Hanzawa Shane Harris Gary Hedden Rachel Hege-Sorrow Carl Hekkert Andrew Hening Rick Holden Sean Holliday Guy Hollins Joshua Hugg Clare Hyland
Jon Jenusaitis Jessie Johnston - Marla Jurosek Aaron Kahn Jennifer Kain Lisa Katz Melinda Kausek Martin Chad Kellogg Sophie Kelmenson Stephen Kennedy Tom Kennedy Bill Kenney Jenny Kim Cathy Kimball Sonya Kleshik Michael Kloefkorn Amy Kochanowsky Mark Koenigs Dennis Korabiak Sailaja Kurella Pamela Kurz Jason Lally Nicole Lamarche Kerry Lange Dane Lay Amy Leedham Janet Lees Debra Lehtone Brian Liles Jaime Lockwood William N. Long, Jr. Catherine ELyons Cindy Ma David Maglaty Jill Manton Jennifer Maples Alan Marshall Jonathan Martinez John Mason Molly Maybrun
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Geeta Rao Kathryn Savvides Reodica Christine Reed Henry Richardson Mike Riepe Angela M. Robbins
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Chris Menkus Martin Menne Laura Messier Abigail Meurk Mark Miller Jason Mitchell Timothy Monahan
Justine Roberts Ian Ross Mark Ross Rita Roti Mary Rottman Liz Rumsey Lynn Sanchez
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A. Dorsey Moore Toni Moran Chris Morris Christine Morris Barbara L. Moy Scott CMulholland Carisa Nakano Brian Nee
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Anthony Saracino Felix Sargent Torch Sathienmars Judith Sayler Deborah Schatten Joshua Schiffer Richard Schulke Zach Seal Spencer W. Sechler Samantha Seto Aleka Seville Stephanie Shin Daniel Shockley Guy Simpson Heidi Simpson Sadie Simpson John Skibbe Cerisa Skinner Diana Smeloff Edward Smeloff Jeny Smith Roman Speron Andrew Spiering Guy Steffens Dahlia Stein Alison Stevens
Richard Walker Sean Walton Kansas Waugh Sarelle Weisberg Teo Wickland Michael Wilson Kyle Winkler Katrine Wong Sarah Woock Roy Worthen Stephanie Xu Xibing Yang Nicholas Young Leon Yu Franco Zaragoza Qing Zhong Kevin Zwick
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CITY NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
Urban Drift Once.J, Created by the Sydney/ New York City creative collective The Glue Society, Once is a 13-foot cube that contains the crushed remnants of an entire amusement park, from cotton candy to carnival barkerdispensed stuffed toys.
Are There Cities on the Moon? 1' After decades of failed Jetsonsesque promises of individual jetpacks for all, people are finally about to ascend to the heavens - as long as their net worth is similarly stratospheric. If the 20thcentury space race was about the might of the American government, the emerging 21st-century one is about something perhaps even more powerful - the might of money. The necessary technology has converged in the hands of a particularly boyish group of billionaires whose Right Stuff is less hard-boiled test pilot, more high-tech entrepreneuring wunderkind - and whose individual financial means eclipse those of most nations. A massive industry is coalescing around them . Towns and states and even some countries are fighting one another for a piece of it. In New Mexico, workers are putting the finishing touches on the first of at least 10 spaceports currently under construction worldwide. More than 800 people have paid as much as $200,000 26
JULY 2013
for commercial flights into space, some of which are expected to launch, at long last, within a year. Architect Sir Norman Foster has designed a, well, space-agelooking spaceport for Sir Richard Branson . Over beers one night, a former high-ranking NASA official, now employed by Branson put it plainly: " We happen to be alive at the moment when humanity starts leaving the planet." "Welcome to the Real Space Age," by Dan P. Lee,
5/19/13. www.nymag.com/news/features/spacetravel-2013-5/
A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America by Vishaan Chakrabarti Chakrabarti, director of Columbia University's Center for Urban Real Estate and a partner at SHoP Architects, believes that well-designed cities are the key to solving America 's greatest challenges . He rallies us to "turn a country of highways, houses and hedges into a country of trains, towers, and trees ." www.artbook.com/978193 5202172.html
The Ricotta Index Can cheese be a reliable indicator of gentrification? Urban planner Deborah Helaine Morris thinks so and in a recent essay, the Brooklyn resident describes how the price and variety of ricotta on offer in the dairy aisle at her local supermarkets, mom-and-pop delis and artisanal food stores reflect neighborhood change. " I am not certain that cheese is the best indicator of neighborhood change," says Morris. " But every time I step into a store with comestibles, I head straight to the dairy section, and try to see what the offerings can tell me about where I am or, at least, what I should have for dinner." "The Ricotta Index," by Deborah Helain Morris,
A More Accessible Icon 1' The Accessible Icon Project has advocated for an overhaul of the International Symbol of Access, also known as the International Wheelchair Symbol. The recognizable symbol is effective, but the Accessible Icon Project team believes that the new design better represents individuals with disabilities, especially in the way it conveys a sense of action and movement. "I have a sense of history when I see the original image," explains artist and researcher Sara Hedren , who cofounded the project. She strongly believes that the new icon should not only take the form of a street art action but that it should show the old version while also showing the new one. " We used the original sticker in a tactical, mildly transgressive way," she explains, "to get some media coverage for a whole range of issues and the voices of people who don't often get talked about or heard: How do we build cities, schools, econom ies that support difference?" •
5/22/13. www.urbanomnibus.net/2013/05/the-
"The Accessible Icon Project Revam ps Famous
ricotta-index/
lsotype," by Buzz Poole, printmag.com, 6/6/13
THE URBANIST
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MEMBER PROFILE
From Pop-Up to Permanent Sarah Filley In Oakland, an artist and urban designer blends boosterism with positive deviance. In art school, Sarah Filley's work focused on sculptures, video, performance and photography. "The themes I've explored have always been about how we live in urban cities and how the cities reflect our desires back to us," explains the cofounder (with Alfonso Dominguez) of Popuphood, a small-business incubator aimed at revitalizing Oakland 's neighborhoods block by block. "My first performance was at a Healthy Cities conference in downtown Oakland!" When Filley graduated , she continued to find creative ways to engage the public around citizen agency and urban resiliency. As an artist she proposed projects that used public data, government agencies and technology to connect residents to resources, but as she explains, "It was frustrating to What interests you about cities? And how did you first learn about SPUR?
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I wanted to be part of a global conversation on the direction of cities and understand how I could have a real voice in designing a city that reflected my needs as a creative person but also as someone hit hard by the economic downturn. I saw what was happening in the arts and how institutional funding was drying up. I knew that it was only a matter of time before it hit cities as well. As an artist I didn't feel connected to a purpose, [but now] , as a social entrepreneur, I feel connected to a global conversation of likeminded folks and now boosterism is my full-time job! I learned about SPUR when I started loitering in San Francisco to find a community of hackers, THE URBANIST
be trained in creative problem solving yet marginalized as a cultural producer and have no real impact on how cities serve, engage or even celebrate its population." So Filley launched Popuphood, an initiative that focuses on connecting micro-entrepreneurs to a shared creative engagement for macro-collective impact. "Our company arose out of a deep love of place," she says. "Having so many artists, makers and designer networks here makes this an amazing city. Creating a platform to showcase the amount of cultural production with our 'Pop-Up to Permanent' program is how we can both share what has been happening here and have a positive economic impact on the community."
instigators. urbanists, digital artists and people talking about urban innovation . There are people doing and talking in Oakland , of course, but they lacked the connective social tissue of a physical place to gravitate to. SPUR really was one of my first touchstones to find my tribe, so to speak, and migrate over from the art museums and galleries into the urban exhibits and publications found at SPUR . What projects are currently in the works for Popuphood?
The importance of sharing suecessful strategies between cities will be the next level in the urban prototyping movement and sharing economy. We are programming our new office space in Frank Ogawa Plaza. which faces Oakland 's City Hall, and we're col-
laborating with many of the great people we have met while speaking and consulting in different cities. We've partnered, for example, with the California College of Arts ' Engage program to complement our work on a district level with KONO (Koreatown Northgate Community Benefits District). Our first Pop-up in this downtown location is Hub Oakland. We will expand our Pop-up Plaza incubation in the fall to include more businesses. The talent of our applicants is matched only by the excitement in Oakland right now. It feels amazing to see this city hit its stride. Awesome. Now tell us about your favorite ... Urban view: The view of down-
town Oakland from the Tribune
PopUp's Sarah Filley and one of the group's downtown Oakland retailers.
Tower cannot be beat. It has a 360-degree view and is a great example of the status afforded this early landmark. City: Melbourne. It is to Sydney
what Oakland is to San Francisco. It has a feisty underdog spirit that suited me well and made it very familiar. Book on the city: Triumph of the City [by Edward Glaeser],
hands down. Coming from an art background I really appreciate an argument that has its roots in history and looks at the economics of the future. We have a moment here to ground progressive citizen led initiatives in equitable and inclusive policy and I appreciate the philosophical bent to the reasoning found in its pages. •
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