Book - A Parkway for the People - Presidio Tunnel Tops

When a dangerous stretch of California highway in the Presidio of San Francisco needed to be replaced, the project promised to be immense--costly, complex, and time-consuming, involving multiple public agencies. The most obvious solution seemed to be the best: replace the old road (known as Doyle Drive) with a modern freeway.

But, sometimes, the ordinary steps aside and the extraordinary takes it place.

This is the story of one man's vision--landscape architect Michael Painter (1935-2018)--that healed an urban landscape, unified diverse interests, and provided over 12 acres of new parkland to San Francisco's beloved Golden Gate National Parks. It is a story of hard work by thousands of individuals over three long decades; of collaboration amidst intense debate; and of perseverance and innovation in the face of constraint.

This is the inspirational story of the Presidio Tunnel Tops and the remarkable people who made it happen.

About the Author

Kristina Hooper Woolsey Ph.D. is a Bay Area native. A former faculty member of University of California Santa Cruz in Psychology and Environmental Design, and visiting faculty member at MIT in Architecture, she was also Director of Atari Research and the Apple Multimedia Lab. Given her lifelong interest in cognitive science and urban design, a book and film on the Presidio Tunnel Tops was a natural choice.

Product specifications:

• Paperback, 78 pages
• Dimensions: 8.5" tall x 8.5" wide x 0.5" thick