The History and Overview of San Diego
San Diego was just a small town with only a few hundred residents in 1850, but it is now the 8th largest city in the United States. Many people had to make the effort and sacrifice their entire career in order to make this transition happen. This section introduces the key events with an aspect to the planning history of San Diego.
Alonzo Erastus Horton 1850
Alonzo Horton statue southwest of
Horton Square
It is hard to talk about San Diego's attractions without the Horton Plaza, and it is hard to talk about the planning history of San Diego without mentioning Alonzo Horton. Mr. Horton was a 19th century real estate developer who moved from city to city for new opportunities to invest, but he found the biggest opportunity of his life in San Diego. In 1867, when he paid a visit, he was already wealth by doing business in San Francisco. On April 15, 1867 he landed near where the foot of Market Street is now, while he was waiting for a wagon to take him to Old Town, walked up to about the present location of the Courthouse. He liked what he saw and decided to buy land there and try to build a city[2]. Then he quickly found that downtown San Diego (the Old Town) was built inland with very few settlements, whereas the San Diego Bay was empty. He purchased 800 acres of land on the waterfront for 27 cents an acre. Two years later, he paid $4000 for a 160-acre parcel to complete the section known as the Horton Addition or “New Town” [3] The Old Town residents did not like the idea at the beginning, but new business began o flood in , and eventually the New Town took the place of the Old Town and became the new heart of the growing city [4]. The development did not stop, and Horton was also the first person to ask for a City Park in the New Town which was known as Balboa Park today.
Balboa Park and the Panama Exhibition 1915
The Ground Plan Map for San Diego Exposition
Balboa Park is one of the most attractive landmarks in San Diego. It went from a scrub filled mesa to an well planned park in 20 years. According to Balboapark.org, the very first step in the beautification process were made in 1892 when Kate Sessions offered to plant 100 trees a year within the park as well as donated trees and shrubs around San Diego in exchange for 32 acres of land within the Park boundaries to be used for her commercial nursery[5]. Then San Diego finally produced a master plan for the park's beautification process which were supported by a city tax levied in 1905 and continued through 1910[6]. The plan not changed the name of the City Park to Balboa Park, but provided the water system, and more buildings in the park. According to Christman on the book "The Romance of Balboa Park", Aubrey Davidson- the president of the Chamber of Commerce presented the idea of hosting an exposition for the completion of Panama Canal in 1915 which would provide buildings for Balboa Park, as well as bolster the sagging economy [6]. With the help from the State government, a brand new, and completed Balboa park was put to action. The new Balboa park contains a whited walled city of the old Spanish type; some buildings resembled the missions in southern California; some were like government structures in Mexico or Spain. Everywhere was the Spanish touch, with tiled domes and towers, , arched colonnades, mission bells, quiet patios, and fountains flowing gently [6]. It was said that the finest examples of this style of any place in America were to be found at the exposition. The project finally finished in the year 1914 and opened for the Exposition on Dec. 31, 1914. Even though the fair was re-organized in 1916, but most of the buildings and the purposes of those buildings kept until today.
The Nolen's Plan 1908-1924
John Nolen was
hired to create a comprehensive development plan for San Diego in 1907
San Diego Bay and Balboa Park are two of the great landmarks, but people still do not know the man who has contributed the most to their planning. John Nolen, an urban planner who lived in the early 1900s, had a great plan for San Diego and his vision remains inspiring even today.
John Nolen, who had passions for community planning, creating affordable housing, and setting proper location for airports, set down precise components for San Diego's future planning. He was hired by San Diego political reformer George W. Marston in 1908 and wrote out the report San Diego: A Comprehensive Plan for Its Improvement based on 1908 "City Beautiful" blueprint, which envisioned a Neoclassical Renaissance makeover emphasizing the advantages that "nature has presented to San Diego as a free gift" [7]. The plan featured a comprehensive park system, grand boulevards, a civic center, and a public plaza. The finished plan, dated September 1908 and available in the California Room of the Central Library downtown, runs 109 pages, including dozens of photos, several maps, an appendix of excerpts from other city thinkers, and sources for more reading [8].
The plan did not get approval from the city, however, because building a tourist-attracting city was not in the best interest of politicians who wanted industrial growth. Nolen recommend the city should “closely consider the burden of maintaining a large park, when multiple smaller spaces would be more effectual” [10]. San Diego had relied heavily on City Park (Balboa) as its singular preserved open space. However, the city had made little progress in utilizing the park. The Panama-California Exposition, an exposition intended to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal in Balboa Park put a halt to his plan. Nolen did not give up; he argued city planning should take into account what is the best for the whole community instead of what is best for any special interest group.
He believed planning could not continue without the support from public and he engaged in an ongoing educational campaign until 1924, when he was asked by the city to modify his initial plan with the support from George Marston. He produced a second plan in 1926 with an emphasis also on the waterfront. This featured an 11-mile drive next to the bay, running from the southern boundary of the city, past downtown and the County Administration building, past a suggested airport, to the Navy bases in Point Loma. It also included the historic preservation of Presidio Hill and the creation of Presidio Park [9]. Even though John Nolen had great visions for San Diego, the government did not adopt all of his ideas. However, the development of Morley Field, Shelter Island, and Harbor Island are all thanks to Nolen.
The development of Downtown San Diego 1869 - present
The Gaslamp Quarter
After Alonzo Horton decided to develop a city in Downtown, the action of improvements for the Downtown area never stopped until today, here are the key events that took place in modifying downtown San Diego [11]
1869: Horton spends about $50,000 to build a wharf at the end of 5th Avenue, which is the backbone of downtown even today
1870: The first public theater with 400 seats for lectures.
1885: The original Chinese Mission Schools opens, which was the place for Chinese and later on Japanese people to collaborate, and study for American culture and languages.
1888: San Diego's real estate boom ends, which the population drooped from 40,000 to 16,000.
1909: Alonzo passed away, and told the reporter San Diego "it's the most beautiful place in the world to me, and I had rather have the affection and friendly greeting of the people of San Diego than all the rulers in the world."
1974: he San Diego City Council provides $100,000 to rehabilitate the Gaslamp Quarter, as well as to develop design guidelines to preserve the district's historic aesthetic. One of the first buildings to be restored was the Buel-Town Company Building.
1991: The Gaslamp Quarter Archway is officially completed and dedicated.
Today: The Gaslamp Quarter is completed, and becomes on the tourist attracting site as well as entertainment district.
the current Gaslamp Quarter
For more information, please visit http://www.gaslamp.org/archway
Modern San Diego
San Diego City today has a population of about 1.37 million people, and the forecast states the population will reach 1.54 million in the city and 3.54 million people in the entire county [12]. The density is not a problem, and along with the geographical features San Diego has to offer, it will still be a tourist attracting city. However, as the population will not grow as much, we will probably not going to see any obvious boost in the job market.
Foot Notes1] Time Line of San Diego History." Https://www.sandiegohistory.org/timeline/timeline1.htm. San Diego History Center, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.
[2] Scharf, Thomas. "Horton's Purchase." San Diego History Center. SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1987. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/87winter/horton.htm
[3] Fuller, Theodore. "Alonzo Erastus Horton (1813-1909)." San Diego History Center. San Diego History Center, 1987. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/bio/horton/horton.htm
[4] Christman, Florence. The Romance of Balboa Park. 1st. San Diego: San Diego Historical Society, 1985. 11-14. Print.
[5] "History Of Balboa Park." Balboapark.org. Balboa Park, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. From http://www.balboapark.org/info/history?gclid=COSz1Zqq6rUCFc0-MgodtFcAmg
[6] Christman, Florence. The Romance of Balboa Park. 1st. San Diego: San Diego Historical Society, 1985. 35-40. Print.
[7] Erie, Steven. Paradise Plundered. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011. 35. Print.
[8] "Forgotten Visionary." San Diego Union-Tribune. 07 01 2007: n. page. Print. <http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070107/news_mz1h07nolen.html>.
[9] "A San Diego Visionary—The Nolen Plans of 1908 & 1926." hillquest.com. HillQuest. Web. 6 Mar 2013. <http://www.hillquest.com/history/nolen_plans_of_1908_and_1926.htm>.
[10] Macchio, Melanie. "John Nolen and San Diego’s Early Residential Planning in the Mission Hills Area ." Journal of San Diego History. 52.3 (2006): n. page. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v52-3/pdf/2006-3_nolen.pdf
[11] "History." Gaslamp Quarter Association. Gas Lamp Quarter in San Diego, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.gaslamp.org/history
[12] "Population of San Diego." Population. Economic Development of San Diego City, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiego.gov/economicdevelopment/sandiego/population.shtml
[2] Scharf, Thomas. "Horton's Purchase." San Diego History Center. SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1987. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/87winter/horton.htm
[3] Fuller, Theodore. "Alonzo Erastus Horton (1813-1909)." San Diego History Center. San Diego History Center, 1987. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/bio/horton/horton.htm
[4] Christman, Florence. The Romance of Balboa Park. 1st. San Diego: San Diego Historical Society, 1985. 11-14. Print.
[5] "History Of Balboa Park." Balboapark.org. Balboa Park, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. From http://www.balboapark.org/info/history?gclid=COSz1Zqq6rUCFc0-MgodtFcAmg
[6] Christman, Florence. The Romance of Balboa Park. 1st. San Diego: San Diego Historical Society, 1985. 35-40. Print.
[7] Erie, Steven. Paradise Plundered. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011. 35. Print.
[8] "Forgotten Visionary." San Diego Union-Tribune. 07 01 2007: n. page. Print. <http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070107/news_mz1h07nolen.html>.
[9] "A San Diego Visionary—The Nolen Plans of 1908 & 1926." hillquest.com. HillQuest. Web. 6 Mar 2013. <http://www.hillquest.com/history/nolen_plans_of_1908_and_1926.htm>.
[10] Macchio, Melanie. "John Nolen and San Diego’s Early Residential Planning in the Mission Hills Area ." Journal of San Diego History. 52.3 (2006): n. page. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
from http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v52-3/pdf/2006-3_nolen.pdf
[11] "History." Gaslamp Quarter Association. Gas Lamp Quarter in San Diego, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.gaslamp.org/history
[12] "Population of San Diego." Population. Economic Development of San Diego City, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. from http://www.sandiego.gov/economicdevelopment/sandiego/population.shtml