The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 18 March 2013
by Jasper Rubin
On October 17, 1989, a large earthquake severely damaged the Embarcadero freeway in San Francisco. This bland strip of elevated concrete had for decades formed an ugly barrier between that city and its storied waterfront. A few years later, citizens and a sympathetic city government finally managed to demolish the freeway, beginning an unprecedented renaissance along the waterfront, which is now lined with elegant walkways, restaurants, stunning scenic vistas, and historic architecture. Today, a professional basketball team proposes to construct a massive new arena on a pair of piers near the Bay Bridge. They are savvy enough to have selected a globally respected architecture firm to come up with an elegant design. But the idea of constructing such a large building here when we had only recently removed a waterside eyesore seems contradictory. With luck, the plans will shift that arena on shore somewhere more appropriate.
This is the kind of development back-and-forth illuminated by this engrossing and detailed book, a look at the development of the San Francisco waterfront from 1950 to the present. Once a thriving shipping port, shifts in cargo technology (i.e. containerization better suited to the Port of Oakland across the Bay), demographics, economic focus and real estate values over the years caused the port facilities to fall into decay and disuse. It took generations for the port to realize some of the development visions that it explored in the absence of shipping business. This process was severely complicated by the bureaucratic and political position of the port, which started out as a state agency and was only later transferred to city control. By then, there were numerous city agencies, civic and citizen institutions that all had an interest in how the port facilities and extremely valuable waterfront land would be used. This interaction has long been a hallmark of the power and economic landscape of San Francisco. The conflict arises again with the new basketball arena proposal.
Jasper Rubin, professor of Urban Studies at San Francisco State University, and a former member of the city's planning department, wrote a book full of political and organizational detail. He details some of the grand development visions that would have transformed the waterfront in some odd ways. He is also acutely observant of the movement of capital, from local sources as well as international investment, the kind of movement that goes on behind the scenes and has the power to transform entire urban landscapes. The book reads a bit like a textbook, but remains engaging to the interested reader of history and urban development. For a reader familiar with the San Francisco waterfront, particularly a reader who may have grown up in the city or nearby, this can become a fascinating adventure into the city's history and the forces that shape its unique economic and physical landscape. For others, it will be a surprisingly engaging example of urban politics and how they affect the landscape that ebbs and flows over the years.
The San Francisco waterfront has turned out pretty well, especially lately. The century-old Ferry Building is gorgeously restored, and houses high-end food and gift shops, along with an active commuter ferry terminal. The Exploratorium science museum opens on Pier 15 in April of 2013. A new cruise ship terminal is built. The Americas Cup is being run here. Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 remain overrun by tourists. After generations of political and development shifts, the city and port planning processes finally came together to create a landscape that incorporates many of the amenities popular to the citizens while also generating income. In many ways, the long years of decay were worth it for what we have today. There is certainly a lesson in this story. Amazing views, access to the water, environmental health, and picture-perfect scenery are preserved. Some of the architecture is bland, many of the amenities exceedingly pricey, the visiting population not terribly diverse, but it is a mesmerizing urban landscape.