These photographs were taken at the cusp of a remarkable transformation. Part of the South of Market area of the San Francisco was being altered structurally: a convention center, surrounded by hotels and high-rises, replaced two story wood frame buildings that housed 700 businesses and 5000 residents. An even larger part of the transformation of South of Market has been the restructuring of the use of existing space. As industry moved out, artists moved into the warehouses. As families with children migrated to the suburbs, the gay community moved into the apartments. Along with these newcomers, and in spite of various plans to clear-cut the area for development, South of Market remains a vital mix of immigrant families, small businesses, and light industry.

The historic aspect of photography has always fascinated me. However, I did not intend these large-format color images to be a pretty representation of the past. I want to emphasize that a closer look will often reveal complexities.

People were moved out, neighborhoods destroyed, jobs lost in the ten block area set aside for the construction of the Moscone Center. The surrounding area documented here was greatly impacted as rents skyrocketed. Trendy restaurants and stores make for a colorful urban scene. Who pays?

Looking out on the city almost 25 years later the multiple forces that shape urban ecology can be clearly traced. The impact of the recession, the earthquake, the dotcom boom and bust, as well as revised approaches to urban planning have all altered the original intention of the "City Fathers" of the l950s. The hindsight/insight provided by this documentary project gives a perspective on how we perceived the changes we thought were to come. As we look out at the city today we can assess in what form those changes have actually arrived.