Urban Design Plans for Downtown San Francisco: A Paradigm Shift?

Abstract

This paper provides a holistic understanding of the urban design plans for downtown San Francisco, in particular, of their pioneering roles in urban design history. There is a critical discourse analysis of two urban design plans – the Urban Design Plan 1972 and the Downtown Plan 1985. A Kuhnian framework of ‘paradigm’ is applied to evaluating the innovative practices of these plans. The paper argues that the innovations, reflected in the urban design plans for downtown San Francisco, represent a paradigm shift in the evolution of urban design discipline and profession.