Urban scholars have posited a shift in city planning from the city-beautiful ideals of the 1890s to the city-functional goals of the 1920s. In San Francisco, elite fears that the Bay Bridge would lead to the exodus of residents and businesses to Oakland and the East Bay spurred new planning proposals in the 1930s. However, conventional planning efforts that focused on improving transit efficiency failed to generate much public support. Instead, merchants and other elites demanded that planning be used to create a cityscape of fantasies that would distinguish San Francisco from its rivals. The planning of new fairs and festivals re-created the city’s history and drew public support for other planning efforts aimed at attracting tourists. As a result, the creation of fantasies became a mainstay of planning in San Francisco and throughout the nation.
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