Santa Barbara: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Faced with new challenges, including state-required housing mandates, many cities across California and the country are looking for ways to revitalize their core and provide housing for growing populations.  Santa Barbara is no different in its need for solutions, but it’s particularly well situated to answer these concerns because of its well established and architecturally successful “city DNA.”  Through a series of talks, panel discussions, tours, and an architectural drawing exhibition, participants will investigate how Santa Barbara developed its unique character, and how those principles can be employed to satisfy the needs of today.

6.5 LU

Learning Objectives:

1. Discover the theory of traditional urbanism by examining case studies around the country, and how they compare to Santa Barbara
2. Learn about the history of Santa Barbara’s founding including the Presidio and how our Spanish occupancy informed city planning
3. Tour downtown Santa Barbara to investigate how the 1925 earthquake affected how Santa Barbara’s citizens and architects considered the design
4. Learn about the contemporary challenges and opportunities for development in historic downtown from the perspective of architects and city staff