Publication Date

Spring 2004

Degree Type

Master's Project

Degree Name

Master of Urban Planning (MUP)

Department

Urban and Regional Planning

Abstract

In the past 40 years, city officials have started to look at new ways to regulate private development in order to create a sense of community, as well as to maintain and enhance the historic qualities and desirability of their cities for residents. Many cities adopted zoning ordinances in the early 1900s because officials believed that the segregation of uses would improve the quality of life.' However, regulating uses did little to ensure that the aesthetics of new development would be satisfactory to residents and city officials. Zoning ordinances alone have not been able to compel developers, architects, and residents to design new buildings that are compatible with existing neighborhoods and preserve the qualities that make each city unique. Appearance codes, sign ordinances, and restrictive covenants are methods that cites first started to employ in an attempt to remedy these problems." In the late 1970s, cities began using a more formal design review process. Since then, an increasing number of cities have used design review procedures to exercise authority over architecture and urban design.

This report evaluates the effectiveness of different residential design review processes in three Bay Area cities: The Town of Hillsborough, the Town of Atherton, and the City of Burlingame (see Figure 1.4). These cities were founded in the early 1900s by ^ wealthy San Francisco residents who wanted to create beautiful, upscale communities for their summer homes.

Because of this history, many people want to preserve the character and architectural quality that have defined these cities for over a hundred years (see Figures l.l - 1.3). These three cities are also similar in terms of their current economic conditions, lot sizes, and other demographics. I chose these cities because of their similarities in order to analyze how different design review processes shape the design and aesthetics of single-family homes in relatively high-income, residential communities.

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