Burnham Plan for Bernal Heights - 1905

City planner Daniel Burnham from Chicago planned lakeside parks; American cities had become big enough that mobility and open space and pollution problems were emerging. The proposal for Bernal Heights was at the top, and Peralta Heights ridge would remain a park. Just south of Bernal is Islais Creek, along which Burnham wanted a park. The Mission areas north of Bernal show Burnham's fondness for diagonals linking key points. Note that Potrero Hill, seen at the upper right, was also intended to be a park. Burnham's plan covered the entire city, but this photo only shows the Bernal Heights section. After the earthquake and fire of 1906, people thought that they could put his ideas into action, but politicians and business men were so anxious to get back to business right away that the only part of his plans that were executed were his plans for the Civic Center.