Building the Imagery of San Francisco: An Analysis of Controversy Over High-Rise Development, 1970-1971

This study attempts to explore the "image" of San Francisco as it is created by the newspapers. The main assumption is that the perception and evaluation of the urban environment is to a great extent shaped by verbal and iconic frames of reference selected by the media. In this process, newspapers playa central role in influencing not only political decisions on the urban environment, but also public consensus about the possible alternatives for action, their value and their consequences. The specific topic of research is the controversy in local newspapers over the proposed construction of high-rise buildings in San Francisco during 1970-71. The analysis focuses on the themes of the articles, the actors involved in the controversy, the strategy of their action, the environmental attributes ,attached to San Francisco, and the mythology that the controversy created about the city.