Mapping Change

During the New Deal, the San Francisco Planning Department commissioned a large-scale model of the city, complete with buildings, trees and roads. The model was kept in crates for decades, like a time capsule of San Francisco in the late 1930s. The model is filled with detail, but how can we evaluate it as a historical record? Luckily, we have data and tools we can use to compare the model to the living city. During this program, we will use 1938 aerial photographs of The Haight, The Panhandle and Alamo Square to analyze the model for completeness, accuracy and detail. Then, using modern satellite imagery, we will investigate how the city has changed over the past 80 years.