Abstract
This paper aims to provide 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 the plans. It is argued that the innovations, reflected in the urban design plans for downtown San Francisco, represent a paradigm shift in urban design history.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank, in alphabetical order, Edward Blakely, Allan Jacobs, Richard LeGates and John Punter for their contribution at different stages of this paper.