My master's project is updating the Conservation Plan for the Bishop Peak Natural Reserve (BPNR) in San Luis Obispo, California. It is a professional project for the City of San Luis Obispo, supported by City policy that requires continued management of its open space network through management plans unique to each property. As one of the city's most visited open spaces and one of its most visible natural landmarks, the Bishop Peak Natural Reserve is in need of continued management and oversight. While much of the work in developing the plan focused on identifying issues and developing responsive policy, this background report takes a step back, focusing on the underlying principles and municipal policies which direct those efforts. This paper serves as a background report for the planning process including an overview of methodology and policy development. One of the primary goals set forth in the BPNR update process is to improve of management capacity and increase the potential for successful implementation. To accomplish this, the reports shows how aspects of an Adaptive Management approach can be integrated into plan review and development. This background report is intended to complement the plan itself and therefore issues not covered within this report are covered within the plan.

The stretch of California Route One (Highway 1) from the City of San Luis Obispo reaching north to the Monterey County line is one of the most scenic drives in the United States. This stretch of highway is a destination in its own right; so much so, the San Luis Obispo North Coast Scenic Byway is federally designated as an All-American Road, the highest scenic designation of any road or highway in the nation. There has been a history for funding the preservation and enhancement of these roads; however, it was removed in 2012. Even with the lack of current funding opportunities, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) continues to recognize the importance of the corridor in attracting valuable tourism revenue thus commissioning this update and economic analysis. Through the economic analysis it was found that visitor spending in the byway region increased by 23% from over $500 million in 2006 to almost $656 million in 2012. In 2012, visitor spending related associated with scenic recognition and enhancement projects along the corridor was about $217,000 in direct revenue. As a result of research, outreach, and data analysis, this project did find that being scenic does make “cents.”

This study is an academic research project completed to satisfy the California Polytechnic Master Thesis Requirement for the Master Degree of City and Regional Planning in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. The County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department is the client for this professional project. The project was requested by the County of San Luis Obispo to assist in its water conservation efforts and to help achieve a 20 percent per capita reduction of water use by the year 2020. The project consists of two documents: A Handbook of Water Conservation Technologies and Practices (Handbook) and the Background Report for the Water Conservation Handbook (Background Report). The Handbook is intended to provide a quick guide to various water conserving fixtures and appliances that developers and residents throughout the County of San Luis Obispo can reference for personal use. The Handbook includes information on the type of technology, the benefits in terms of water saving potential, and the cost of implementation. The Handbook is organized based on Indoor and Outdoor water uses. The Background Report is a supplemental document for the Handbook which provides more in depth descriptions and examples on each technology. The Background Report also provides history on water conservation issues in California and San Luis Obispo. It looks at two case studies: one, on the water conservation efforts in Phoenix, Arizona, and two, on a plumbing retrofit project on the Cal Poly Campus that was awarded LEED certification for its water savings. Furthermore, the Background Report explores case studies in the use of community participatory planning to produce water conservation plans. The studies focused on a Community Plan development in Arroyo Grande, California, and on an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan in the Greater Los Angeles Region. The Background Report concludes by providing some cautionary advice on water conservation technologies and provides future recommendations for the county of San Luis Obispo to improve its water conservation efforts.

In the late 1870's, missionary successes in the southern states prompted the search for a location to which the new converts could migrate and establish their homes among the Saints in "Zion." The area eventually decided upon for the location of the southern converts was the San Luis Valley, in southern Colorado. Elder John Morgan, the most prominent figure in the early missionary work in the South, was given the leading role in bringing southern converts to the settlements which were to be established in the San Luis Valley. The initial settlement of Saints in the valley took place in the spring of 1878, and regular spring and fall migrations from the South added to their numbers for a full decade. Families of Saints from Utah, experienced in irrigation methods and the ways of the frontier, and firmly rooted in their knowledge of and devotion to gospel principles, were called to assist in the colonization of the valley. Manassa was the first town to be established by the Saints, in 1879. As the population of church members increased, additional communities were founded in the vicinity around Manassa; among them Ephraim, Richfield, and Sanford. Further development and expansion continued until circumstances warranted the establishment of a Stake organization of the Church. In June, 1883, the San Luis Stake of Zion was organized, with Silas S. Smith, a cousin of the Prophet Joseph, as Stake President. Feelings of animosity developed between the southern converts and those Saints who had come from Utah, which was to be a source of much irritation and disunity in the years to follow. The year 1884, in particular, was a difficult year for the Saints, as false stories circulated by apostate members of the Church brought much opposition from non-Mormons and dissension among the membership of the Stake. The controversy over polygamy also contributed to the difficulties of the Saints. In the years that followed the passage of the Edmunds Act in 1882 the San Luis Valley experienced a notable influx of polygamous families fleeing Utah in search of a place of refuge. The desire for more remote places of refuge, coupled with population pressures and the attraction of available land, prompted the establishment of several additional settlements in more distant parts of the valley and in New Mexico. Most of these newer communities experienced only a temporary success, and were abandoned before the turn of the century. Church organizational development and change paralleled the ups and downs of the colonial endeavor in the valley. Economic and material progress characterized the Mormon settlements, especially in agricultural development. Private and co-operative enterprise experienced only limited success among the Saints in the valley. Spiritual progress, while notable, was marred by the occasional reoccurrence of the factional strife between the southern Saints and those from Utah. This strife, superimposed over a dispute regarding the financial management of the Manassa Co-operative Milling and Manufacture Company resulted, in 1892, in the resignation of Stake President Silas S. Smith and the reorganization of the Stake Presidency. A general improvement in social, economic, and religious matters was the trend of the final years of the 19th century, marked, most notably, by the visit of Apostle John W. Taylor to the valley in 1897. By 1900 the frontier phase of the Mormon colonization of the valley was completed. The population had reached the leveling-off point, dissension was in steady decline, and the Saints looked to the future of the valley with confidence and optimism.

Civil rights have long been an important focus of historical scholarship. As the United States continues to grapple with issues of racism and the complicated legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, it is imperative that a variety of perspectives are incorporated into scholarship on the subject. Traditional scholarship on the subject has focused on the large organizations, individuals, marches, and activities that have come to characterize the Civil Rights movement. This study seeks to integrate the perspectives of a case study population, African Americans in San Luis Obispo, California, to assess the ways in which African Americans away from large population centers were able to participate in the Civil Rights movement. This study draws primarily on contemporary newspapers, NAACP records, and government documents to assess the relationship between the local civil rights movement and its national counterpart. Civil rights activities at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo also reveal important instances of discrimination and exclusion on campus. Research has shown that, despite relative isolation and a miniscule population, African Americans in San Luis Obispo experienced similar discrimination, isolation, and economic exclusion as their urban and rural counterparts throughout the nation. They also attempted to bring attention to their plight using nationally established organizations and tactics. Though African Americans in San Luis Obispo met with limited success, their previously undocumented struggle has revealed a population determined to fight for their rights. The continuity between the experiences of African Americans throughout the country renders a more complete understanding of racism in the United States.

The overall objective of this study is to compile the ethnohistory and contemporary perspectives of selected historically connected Hispanic communities that were affected by the OST. The project can be divided into two parts: 1) a brief history of each community under study and its historic relationship to the OST, and 2) a description of contemporary community views of the trail. Of special interest will be any contemporary knowledge related to the role played by the trail (and/or events related to the trail’s history and use) that affected the history and perspective of each community. Also of interest will be any places or resources along the trail that have significant cultural meaning to the subject communities. The selected communities targeted by this project are intended to sample the range of ethnic, geographic, and historically-connected populations along the trail routes. These include Hispanic communities associated with the development of the trail, communities founded by emigrant populations known to have used sections of the trail as migration routes in the 19th century, communities that were established to support trail trade, and communities that were founded along the trail after its period of historic use. The following communities participated in this study: Abiquiú, New Mexico, Gallina, New Mexico, San Luis, Colorado, Agua Mansa, California, and San Gabriel, California.

Esta tesis se centró en el período 1950-2000, cuando se produjo una verdadera transformación del sistema urbano argentino. La consecuencia primordial fue el peso que adquirieron en el territorio y la población argentina las ciudades medianas. San Luis en este período primero fue parte del grupo de ciudades pequeñas y luego de ciudades medianas. Se propuso como foco central de estudio la evolución geográfica-urbanística-socio-económica de la ciudad mediana de San Luis, que hasta los 60’s fue una de las capitales de menor desarrollo económico relativo del país, con peligro de estancamiento y graves deformaciones de su estructura económico-social y con una diferenciación socio-espacial casi clásica-colonial hasta esa época. Aceleradamente sufrió una profunda transformación territorial y económica, ubicándose en una posición estratégica dentro del contexto nacional. Constituyó un modelo interesante de análisis por su capacidad de cambio bajo ritmos rápidos y sistemáticos de reorganización. Sirvió de ejemplo para evaluar aspectos favorables y flaquezas en este nuevo dibujo geográfico hacia el cual se orientó, así como el impacto que su desarrollo poblacional y espacial generó dentro del sistema urbano provincial, regional y nacional. La metodología seguida fue esencialmente exploratoria. Se elaboraron, describieron y compararon datos estadísticos: censales demográficos y económicos usando tablas. Se relacionaron patrones espaciales en diferentes períodos históricos con políticas y medidas implementadas por el gobierno. Mediante mapas se graficaron los modelos de diferenciación socio-espacial y funcional de cada etapa hasta la ciudad actual. Se determinaron los indicadores básicos que caracterizaron la evolución del modelo de ciudad, se mostraron los detalles y rasgos relevantes y a través de ellos se pudo reflejar la estructura general y los procesos acontecidos que le dieron forma a San Luis. Finalmente se comparó el modelo actual con los modelos tradicionales que explican la evolución de las ciudades latinoamericanas. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que los cambios en la evolución de la estructura económica, las políticas nacionales y provinciales implementadas, los efectos que causó el programa de ajuste y estabilidad económica aplicado desde los 90’s y la ventajosa ubicación de San Luis sobre una de las rutas terrestres principales entre Argentina, Chile y el MERCOSUR, repercutieron en la ciudad, permitiendo y estimulando su crecimiento. Este proceso de crecimiento que provocó transformaciones estructurales y funcionales en esta ciudad constituye un reflejo de lo que ocurre en las grandes ciudades latinoamericanas, aunque en San Luis presentan diferencias de intensidad, adoptan rasgos locales particulares y ritmos propios que se traducen en un retraso temporal. Éstas, muestran una fragmentación del espacio urbano que expresa un creciente grado de polarización social y una clara segregación entre áreas residenciales de prestigio que se oponen a otras marginales de estratos muy pobres y entre diferentes estilos de vida. Al mismo tiempo, evidencian una tendencia hacia la estandarización de los paisajes urbanos debido a la homogeneización funcional, arquitectónica e incluso simbólica de los productos. Conjuntamente, aparece el conflicto de la falta de una adecuada gestión urbana, que se extiende hasta hoy. Durante este trabajo quedó en evidencia la importancia de los modelos urbanos como concepto operativo que permite verificar empíricamente la diferenciación socio-espacial y funcional en el interior de la ciudad y, se constituyen en indicadores de la problemática urbana. Resultan de suma importancia para una planificación urbana y regional futura dirigida y ordenada. Se espera que la investigación haya sido provechosa para lograr una concientización en cuanto a la realidad de la ciudad y su problemática, a la capacitación de profesionales que encaren tareas como estas y, como aporte de elementos útiles para elaborar acciones a través de los organismos de gestión correspondientes destinados a mejorar las condiciones de las áreas críticas. / This thesis is centred on the time period 1950-2000. Certain urban phenomena have produced changes of great impact to the city-state. Within the city, spatially and urbanistically speaking, these phenomena have taken form in transformations on levels of an urban-morphological, a structural, social and functional nature, together with socio-structural-spatial fragmentation. The most important consequence of these transformations was the weight of impact that intermediate-sized cities had upon Argentinean territories and populations. During this period of time, San Luis was first within the group of small cities, and then followed to become part of the mid-sized cities. The central focus of this research was the evolution of the mid-sized city of San Luis, which had been, until the mid-60s, one of the capitals with the relatively lowest economic development in the country, in danger of economic stagnation and serious deformities in its socio-economic infrastructure and with a socio-spatial differentiation almost classically colonial up until this era. Notwithstanding, San Luis rapidly underwent a dramatic territorial and economic transformation to the extent that it came to occupy a strategic position within the current national context. San Luis further provided an interesting analytical model due to its capacity for change in the midst of fast and systematic paces of reorganization. It has served as an example in order to evaluate both its favourable and weaker elements, as well as to evaluate the impact generated by its population and spatial development upon provincial, regional and national urban systems. The methodology followed was essentially of an exploratory nature. On one hand, statistical, demographic and economic data were elaborated, described and compared. On the other hand, spatial patterns within different historical periods were related to one another along with the policies and measures implemented by the government. Next, differentiated socio-spatial and functional models were elaborated for each time period up until the present-day city. Basic indicators were determined within each time frame to characterize the evolution of the model of the city and to demonstrate the key details and defining features reflected in the general structure and important processes that occurred to give shape to San Luis. Finally, the current model was compared with various traditional models that have in the past explained the evolution of Latin American cities. While this work was being carried out, the importance of urban models as an operating concept in order to empirically verify socio-spatial and functional differentiations within the confines of the city was confirmed; they can be constituted within indications of urban problems and are essential for the planning of interventions.

The study looks at the applicability of integrating a Bus Only Shoulder (BOS) into the intermittently congested segment of US 101 in southern San Luis Obispo County. Policy, infrastructure and implementing criteria derived from case studies in Minnesota, Florida and California (San Diego) and the 2007 California Decision Document on BOS are applied to conditions in the region. One measure of performance, time savings, is projected to 2025 to determine the value of integrating the program by that horizon year. Given the substantial potential for time savings in that future year, recommendations are made to create the appropriate policy and infrastructure environment for the program.

The processes to develop community plans share certain standard activities and stages while remaining distinctive and without pre-scripted procedures. This study documents the process that yielded the South Broad Street Corridor Plan June 2012 draft. The objective is to present the decision-making processes and their connections to the final plan document along with the plan document itself.

The history of San Luis Obispo and its surrounding areas is complex. Agriculture, innovation, and immigration have all contributed to the formation of the region. The Spanish, Mexican, and early American periods established the framework successive waves of immigrants had to live within. Native Americans and immigrants from China, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, the Philippines, and other regions of the United States have all toiled in the fields and contributed to America’s tables at various points throughout county history. Many contingencies determined the treatment of successive waves of immigrants. Growth and development are taking place at exponential rates on the very land that witnessed the first local agriculture and the conflicts surrounding the burgeoning industry.