California Dreaming

A recent trip to San Francisco and Los Angeles and several smaller towns in between made me think about the differences between American cities and cities in Europe. As an urban designer and landscape architect, what are the benefits of comparison and does it provide any lessons for great place-making?

Both San Francisco and Los Angeles are laid out in regular, rectangular grids, apart from the sweeping freeways and cloverleaf junctions that tend to dominate the outskirts of these great cities.

San Francisco

San Francisco was built on the back of the gold rush of the 1850s and was subsequently burnt down following the famous 1906 earthquake. What is interesting about the grid in downtown San Francisco was that it ignored the fact that the city steeply undulates both north-south and east-west. Rather than completely obliterating the landscape, it provides a unique character that emphasises the changes in levels, with building such as Coit Tower on the hill providing a spectacular landmark and viewing platform.

The gradients of such streets would certainly not meet current highway standards for maximum gradients, but they function perfectly well. The provision of trams from the turn of the century are a key identity feature of the city and allow people who cannot or do not wish to walk to traverse the city. Those who don’t use the trams can have a healthy workout walking up and down these hills and be treated to some great views of the city.

The grid as an urban design concept makes a lot of sense, as it is an efficient form and allows for good legibility and surprising amount of interest even if it appears somewhat monotonous in plan-form.

Los Angeles

The scale of LA and lack of efficient modes of public transport has resulted in seven lane freeways in both directions which is still not enough road space to accommodate the car with peak hour travel not a pleasant experience.

Where LA works better is when it breaks down into small communities such as Santa Monica on the coast where you get more pedestrianised streets and cafes and bars spilling out onto the pavement. Sunshine and palm trees and a more relaxed vibe on the coast make everything feel much better. However, like the downtown areas, homelessness is clearly an issue along the coastal towns and districts.

Comparing the US and Europe

So how does this differ from European cities? One clear contrast is in the history of place: with medieval street patterns characterising the historic cores of cities such as London and Rome, often giving way to a more ‘hybrid’ plan form in the wider city, with a more regular grid pattern, as typified by Barcelona.

Cities are not just about the street pattern but should be also be about quality of life, cultural offer, housing choice and whether you feel safe. When traveling I often ask the question: would I like to live here?

If I had a choice of where to live between San Francisco and LA, I would undoubtedly choose San Francisco. The scale of the city is more manageable and within thirty minutes to a few hours you have access to beautiful beaches and the awe-inspiring National Parks of Yosemite Valley and King’s Canyon – not forgetting the wine country of Napa Valley! On the downside, property prices in the city core of Pacific Heights are outrageous and traffic congestion around the Bay Area is definitely an issue, with few public transport options outside the core of the city. Maybe Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, which is being developed and tested in California, may in the future provide an answer to mass rapid transit in the wider area. For now, it will simply remain one of the greatest cities I have visited and a highlight of an incredible California road trip.