De La Guerra Plaza

A proposal to redesign the historic De La Guerra Plaza for people instead of cars is facing opposition in local government - Learn more below!

About this form

This web form was created to simplify the process of emailing a public comment to the De La Guerra Plaza Revitalization Advisory Committee.

Upon submission, this form will generate an email addressed to the project manager (Brad Hess, DLGPlaza@SantabarbaraCA.gov) with the subject heading "Public comment in support of De La Guerra Plaza Redesign," signed by the provided name and zip code (to indicate local residency or otherwise). Your provided email address will also be cc'd.

Suggested talking points are provided here, however users of the form are strongly encouraged to personalize the contents of the email:

De La Guerra Plaza is not a welcoming space. Despite its central downtown location, the area has almost no visitors, save for vehicle drivers who walk through to and from their parked cars. A people-focused redesign that contributes to the place-making efforts of the State Street Master Plan will help the historic plaza fulfill its original purpose of being a communal gathering space.
The traffic study conducted by the city found that removing the parking spaces in the De La Guerra Plaza would have minimal impact on drivers' ability to find parking in the vicinity given the ample spaces available in nearby parking garages.
A redesign will make the space more cohesive and inviting.

What it used to look like (1940s)

What it looks like now (2023)

What it could look like (aerial view; design design rendering 2022)

View of arcade looking towards Noozhawk building (design rendering 2022)

View of water feature with Newspress building in background (design rendering 2022)

View of Storke placita (design rendering 2022)

View of renovated city hall landscape with gardens (design rendering 2022)

Proposed blueprint

De La Guerra Plaza

Santa Barbara is in the process of redesigning the plaza in front of the City Hall, aiming to change the current swath of dead grass into a true plaza!

There are a number of features that are being proposed in the plaza that we would like to see in the redesign, including:

Shade: the plaza is currently devoid of shade, disincentivizing people from visiting and spending time there. In its current state, it is extremely rare that anyone hangs out, has picnics, or even walks through the plaza. Adding trees, and structures like the arcade for shade will make the plaza a more welcoming space, encouraging longer dwell times and helping to create inviting, comfortable community space.
The Arcade: The proposed arcade can fill in the empty facade created by the parking lot fronting the plaza. This will add value to the area by framing an otherwise boring and unaesthetic space. In addition, the arches in the proposed design will continue the patterning of City Hall, making the Eastern side of the plaza feel cohesive and complete. Finally, it will provide a permanent home for performances during large events like SB's annual Fiesta, as well as a place to hold smaller political or cultural gatherings.
A Water Feature: We support the presence a water feature, specifically a bubbler fountain. Placing a family-friendly activity adjacent to State Street will make the plaza a destination of its own, helping to revitalize both the plaza and State Street by attracting visitors and promoting community interaction. As it stands, one can’t help but notice how empty the plaza every day of the week. Even on weekends, when State St. bustles with activity, the plaza remains quiet save for the noise of car engines starting and car doors closing. A splash pad would contribute to the city's efforts to engage in place-making, ultimately creating an atmosphere that will feel more alive, and turn De La Guerra Plaza into a refuge for families and children, especially on hot summer days.
Surface Materials: The proposed "spanish style" pavement will provide a cohesive sense of place and is a vast improvement over the current mix of cracked sidewalk and asphalt. While we may struggle to give consideration to the positions that preserving parking availability is akin to preserving the nature of a place, we do acknowledge that a longstanding design within a community can promote feelings of security and nostalgia. However, any impartial observer would reasonably see that the use (or specifically, the lack of use) of the present-day plaza is not reinforcing any positive feelings amongst the current and upcoming members of the Santa Barbara community. Attempts to bring back character and charm to an underutilized public place should be especially encouraged by those that experienced the positive and lasting memories of a place from their past.

We also fully support the elimination of private automobiles from the plaza. The elimination of parking from the plaza is a net positive to locals, tourists, and business owners. As the city traffic study found, there is more than enough parking in the numerous nearby lots, some of which are only a half block from the plaza, to accommodate the spots removed from the plaza after redesign. Further, if the city follows through on its plans to permanently close the State St Promenade to cars, redesigning the De La Guerra Plaza to be car-free will supplement the city's efforts to pedestrianize downtown.

The adoption of the RRM designs will also finally complete what has long been an unfinished space in the heart of our city, enabling the De La Guerra Plaza to realize its full potential. In the 1920’s, architect Barnard Hoffman, who planned the famous El Paseo and restored the De la Guerra adobe, actually proposed plans to redo the plaza complete with a grand fountain. George Washington Smith, Lutah Maria Riggs, and James Osborne Craig also proposed designs, some including a central bandstand. However, the 1925 earthquake shifted city focus to rebuilding downtown; the many plans for the plaza were never realized.

As the 21st century progresses, cities across the world (increasingly in the United States), are “taking back” their public spaces from the cars, righting the auto-invasion that occurred nearly 100 years ago. Cities across the country are taking the same steps to bring back pleasant, quiet, and enjoyable streets with a focus on pedestrians and cyclists. In many of those places, the decision makers face the same misinformed fury and confusion that is currently plaguing the SB City Council. The members of Strong Towns Santa Barbara, however, would like to express their positive support for the design changes, and hope to see them come to fruition.

What Makes a Great Public Space?

Picture of a park in London, taken in June 2023. Credit: Sullivan Israel

If De La Guerra Plaza is to be remodeled into a downtown attraction, it is worth asking the question: what makes a great public space? Also: what examples can we look toward for inspiration?

Some of the world's greatest urban planners have grappled with this question, but perhaps none delved into it more deeply than Walter Whyte. Through a series of studies carried out in the 1970's and 80's, involving setting up time lapse cameras over New York's public squares too see where people liked to sit, stand, and converse, then creating maps of where people met or children played, Whyte was able to whittle down what makes a public space great to a few key elements. These included shade, ledges for sitting, movable furniture, water features, and food vendors. But perhaps most importantly, Whyte famously remarked:

"What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people."

Whyte found that the most popular outdoor spaces in New York City, regardless of location, were designed with a "bottom-up" approach, meaning that the designers understood and designed for the way people actually want to use spaces. De La Guerra Plaza has the potential to become one of these highly successful, people-oriented spaces with just a few new elements and changes.

As the 21st century progresses, cities across the world, and especially in this country, are “taking back” their public spaces from the cars that invaded them about 100 years ago. The trend started early in the Netherlands, and has spread from there. A great early example not too different from our beloved plaza can be seen in the city square of Delft, in the Netherlands:

Before

After

Here, the city square went from being a lifeless, loud car park to a bustling, pedestrian- and bike-friendly gathering place.

There are more examples closer to home as well. Perhaps the most famous town square in America, Times Square in NYC, had a significant remodel which was completed in 2017 and which eliminated car traffic to create seating and walking areas, as described at curbed.com. Similarly, Market Street in San Francisco removed cars completely and is in the planning stages of a major remodel.

Before/After of Times Square (Photos by Michael Grimm)

The important thing is this: The pedestrianization of our public spaces is not a trend or a fad. It’s not even a new idea. Before the automobile, all the spaces mentioned above - and our own Plaza de la Guerra - were crisscrossed by people on foot every day for hundreds or even thousands of years, depending on the city. The introduction of cars onto streets a little more than 100 years ago took those spaces away; pedestrianization is simply the act of taking them back. Cities across the country are following suit, having now realized the benefits of pleasant, quiet, and enjoyable streets for walking and biking only.

Walter Whyte once said: "It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished." Though De La Guerra Plazas may be one of the spaces Whyte would have frowned upon today, there is great potential waiting to be unlocked.

Common Misconscpetions About DLG Plaza

Anti-DLG Plaza sentiment is often expressed in Public Comment letters to the HLC. Many of these letter contain similar misleading or confused claims. The most common are addressed below:

Loss of parking will cause people to stop shopping: As the city traffic study stated, there is more than enough parking in the numerous lots, some of which are only half a block from the plaza, to accommodate the extra cars. This is a claim that has been voiced the world over, but numerous studies have shown that foot traffic actually increases due to the more pleasant nature of the parking-free area.
Closing the street will create more traffic elsewhere: Again, not really. After Market Street in San Francisco was closed, there was nearly no increase in traffic on parallel roads. The same goes for 14th Street in New York and many more cities.
De la Guerra Plaza is used well today: This is patently false. Strong Towns SB Founder, Sullivan Israel, leads historic tours past the plaza nearly every weekend, when it should be busiest. The most activity he has ever seen during a tour is a couple of homeless people and someone parking a car. Statements about the plaza being “well-used” but aren't backed up by examples should be treated as hearsay.
There shouldn’t be features to attract children: Designing for people implies designing for all ages, children included. Excluding them (in favor of on-street parking) is both only sad, but also akin to disincentivizing families from spending time there. The US features a distinct lack of mixed-use public spaces and a notable absence of playground locations near businesses. In Europe, and even on the East Coast of the US, this is not the case. Placing something to attract families right next to State Street will make the plaza a destination of its own. Currently, there is no reason to go there other than to “pay your utility bill” as one commenter put it.
“De la Guerra Plaza has always been this way, so that’s how it should stay!”: This is untrue. Historical documents clearly demonstrate that once the town of Santa Barbara began to be formed in the early 1800s, as small landowners built adobes within walking distance of the Presidio, De la Guerra Plaza took shape as a dusty space between the haphazardly placed adobe homes around it. There was no grass square, palm trees, or benches. Then, from 1874 to 1923, City Hall itself was built directly on top of the plaza’s current open space, and palm trees were planted to mark its boundaries. In the 1920s, architect Bernhard Hoffman, who planned the famous El Paseo and restored the De la Guerra adobe, actually proposed plans to redo the plaza replete with a grand fountain. George Washington Smith, Lutah Maria Riggs, and James Osborne Craig also proposed designs, some including a central bandstand. With the 1925 earthquake shifting focus to rebuilding the city however, the many plans for the plaza were never realized. Plans were made, long ago, to make the plaza more inviting and people-friendly. They did not come to fruition due to a natural disaster. This should not preclude us from making long-desired changes in the present. Further, using the fact that something has always been a certain way as a reason that it should stay that way is not only unimaginative, but also cruel, especially when it comes to city planning. Should the Brooklyn Bridge not have been built because “Manhattan and Long Island have always been disconnected”? Should State Street have been rebuilt in a mixture of Victorian and Old West styles after the earthquake because “that’s the way it always looked”? Should De la Guerra Plaza remain a lifeless, empty space with a mismatch of pavement types and no attractive features because “that’s how it’s always been?"

Resources

The city's project page:

https://santabarbaraca.gov/projects/de-la-guerra-plaza-revitalization-project

News Articles:

March 4, 2023
Criticism Bubbles Up Over Proposed Water Feature for De la Guerra Plaza

February 14, 2023
Santa Barbara Council Votes to Move Forward with $1 Million Plan to Revitalize De la Guerra Plaza