SLO is losing its small-town vibe. Here are ways to get it back
When it was smaller, San Luis Obispo’s downtown provided us with a family friendly, healthy and accessible environment. This contributed to its unique small town charm.
Some small changes could be implemented to recapture these special qualities that are fading.
We will start by identifying some recent examples of urban conflicts that clearly detract from our small town feel and unique identity:
Noise Overwhelming noise on city streets from souped-up cars and motorcycles is becoming unbearable for those walking or eating at cafes. This behavior has been tolerated in the past because diners downtown were buffered from it. But now we have outdoor dining parklets all over town and there is no longer a buffer from this high decibel nuisance. Apparently, the city only enforces when high-decibel music emanates from bars and restaurants. Surely a noise ordinance that applies to moving vehicle is in order.
Trees Contact with nature and its contribution to climate is becoming one of the top priorities in cities world-wide. At present in San Luis Obispo we are still removing large, healthy trees without a concerted effort to replace them with equally large trees. A sweeping study of forests around the world finds that old trees store more carbon in proportion to their size than young trees.
Massing San Luis Obispo has a characteristic texture and scale. Scale should therefore be the major criteria at the forefront of all new development. We are at risk of killing the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg: the “goose” being a low-rise city (no taller than three stories) and the “egg” being our small town appeal to residents and visitors alike. There are many ways a low-rise city can be so important. Permit us to list the ways:
High-rise buildings (buildings between four and six stories) make bad neighbors as they shade public open spaces and neighboring buildings;
Tall buildings block views of the surrounding countryside and create canyonized alleys and streets; Tall buildings, due to their overlook, rob neighboring properties of their privacy;
Low-rise buildings are superior ecologically speaking. They require less energy to build both in terms of sustainable building materials and labor. They require less dependence on power-hungry elevators and air cooling systems;
Low-rise buildings are more resilient when cut off from power and are easier to evacuate in the event of fires, floods and earthquakes;
Low-rise buildings are cheaper and faster to build and will not necessarily ratchet up property values and rents as do tall buildings. When new codes allow heights substantially above the existing urban fabric, it becomes a death sentence for the existing buildings (particularly our low-rise historic buildings) since the potential profit of taller construction becomes too tempting for developers to resist.Circulation-wise, low-rise buildings are more pandemic friendly as they do not rely as much on the confinement of elevators or long, narrow hallways
Movement At present we are seeing increased speeding and increasing incidences of collisions between pedestrians, bicyclists and automobiles. San Luis Obispo is moving full-throttle ahead on creating dedicated bike ways through the removal of on-street parking. But where is the consideration for convenient access for the handicapped, the elderly and the quick in-and-out customer? Where are the locations for drop-offs, which require more space within the right-of-way, for both private and public transportation? Where is the emphasis on addressing the pedestrian’s concern for wider sidewalks while at the same time providing more room for benches, kiosks, vegetation, bio-swales and public art?
Narrow sidewalks cannot accommodate queuing which is on the increase with the introduction of more entertainment venues into our downtown. The city talks about “complete streets” but where do large delivery trucks fit into this equation? Shouldn’t the city have transfer stations outside the city to prevent overlarge trucks from blocking access throughout our downtown?
In conclusion, slowing car traffic while reducing traffic noise will return us to that “slow” town feel we all miss. Introducing more opportunities for landscape to flourish in our urban center reminds us of our strong connection to the land which we had as a former farming community. Avoiding the shadows and wind tunnels that tall buildings create helps preserve our connection to our sunny, benign Mediterranean climate. And offering place-making amenities through the proliferation of well-furnished parklets and wide sidewalks will transform our downtown into a destination rather than just another place to drive through.
David Brodie of San Luis Obispo is a professor emeritus who taught at UC Berkeley and Cal Poly for over 45 years. Allan Cooper, also of San Luis Obispo, is a licensed architect, member of the AIA and a professor emeritus who taught at Cal Poly for over 34 years. Both have practiced in the fields of urban planning and architecture, and are founding members of Save Our Downtown.
