Talk of the Region: August

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San Jose Gets It, but Not Fresno
Cautiously optimistic when it comes to the Golden State and its capital, Dr. Kevin Starr held forth on the topic of growth and boom times in relation to “real estate and humanities” at a recent discussion with members of the Urban Land Institute at the Sutter Club in Sacramento.
    Starr, former state historian and go-to guy for all things big picture when it comes to growth and land development, was in town promoting his latest book, “Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990-2003,” his seventh volume in a series he started more than 30 years ago.
    In his speech, Starr said: “When I think about California in the year 2040, with its 55 to 60 million people, I can legitimately ask myself: Will our institutions hold?”
    To that end, he cites Fresno as an example of institutional fabrics ripping asunder – a city growing too fast with too many people pouring in so that the churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, sports leagues and youth organizations, etc. could not reach out fully to new people and assimilate them into a previously existing way of life.
    On the other hand, he points to San Jose in the ’70s – a city that, through redevelopment and land use, re-urbanized its core while revivifying its institutions to keep pace with the rapid growth.
    Which model will the Sacramento Metro Marketplace, the epicenter of some 2 million people, be able to follow?
    While shying away from prognostications for the region, Starr points to the blurring distinction among suburbs, exurbs and the urban center as a good thing.
Continued...

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