1970's San Francisco Western Addition

The Western Addition of San Francisco was a working class neighbourhood that had fallen into disrepair, and by the 1970's had become home to a vast underclass. Then during a period of urban redevelopment, blocks of Victorian buildings were labeled as rat infested and unfit for habitation. These old houses were demolished or towed away like illegally parked cars to make way for Freeways, wider streets, and sterile cement Public Housing tower blocks.








Fortunately, urban redevelopement had come late to SF and it was not long before the mistakes were learnt.

Those horrid public housing tower blocks were demolished a few years ago and replaced with ... retro-Victorian style low income housing. And the 1989 earthquake took care of the Freeway.

These photos are by Dave Glass.

Categories:San Francisco