On the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, Richard Gonzales visits with those who made the first crossing on foot.
San Francisco's cold wind and fog did not keep people from rushing across the Golden Gate Bridge when it opened on May 27th, 1937. Open only to pedestrians that first day, some 200,000 people made their way across the 2 mile expanse. While most walked, others raced, unicycled, skated and danced between San Francisco and Marin County.
Memories of those of those who attended the opening range from fear of the great height and expansiveness, to awe of the unprecedented engineering accomplishment. Many in Marin County had concerns about sprawl from San Francisco. Nancy Kent Danielson, now 85, recalls, "We suspected the bridge was going up just so it could ruin Marin County."
Lola Silvestri, a 16 year old in 1937, remembers the opening of the bridge differently. "We started out on the bridge as strangers," she says. "By the time we got to the other side, we knew everybody."
Thanks to Jessica Brent
FULL STORY: Walk This Way: Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge
Making the Golden Gate Bridge Safer for Cyclists
The Golden Gate Bridge District is looking at ways to improve safety on the bridge's narrow, windy bike and pedestrian paths.
San Francisco's New Park, Built Over a Viaduct
Designed by the same landscape architect behind New York City's High Line, a new park will cap San Francisco's Doyle Drive, connecting the Presidio to the shoreline.
Golden Gate Bridge Safety Measures Inspire Drivers to Speed
In more proof of how far perceived safety goes in establishing the speed of drivers, the California Highway Patrol is dealing with the unintended consequences of changes on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service