The San Francisco Civic Center

"Jim Haas takes his record of service to the City to a higher level by bringing to light the unique history of the Civic Center. By doing so, he helps us not only to understand how the Civic Center came to be, but also to grasp its significance and central place in San Francisco's past, present, and future."— Senator Dianne Feinstein, from the foreword
"That notoriously Victorian city, San Francisco, does occasionally surprise with moments of unbounded classicism: its City Hall represents one of the best and most beautiful expressions of the style. Happily, James Haas has done the buildings justice in his thorough and exhilarating book, which I consider a must-read for any devotee of Classical Architecture, or any architecture for that matter!"— Peter Lyden, President, Institute of Classical Architecture and Art

Nobody in San Francisco knows Civic Center and its maddening saga—a strange mix of triumphs and pratfalls at urban scale—better than James Haas. This new book makes that history available to all of us, a spirited resource that provides context for whatever might come next.  

— John King, Urban Design Critic, San Francisco Chronicle
"We're often strangely drawn to love affairs. I deeply admire Jim Haas' passion and persistence in pursuit of his love for San Francisco's Civic Center. This exquisite book invites us to eavesdrop on and understand why our thoughtful author has stayed so loyal to this urban architecture love affair."
 — Chip Conley, hospitality entrepreneur and bestselling author
"San Francisco's remarkable Civic Center comes alive in this book. Not only is it a comprehensive history of the Civic Center, it is an extremely thoughtful reminder of how public spaces and public buildings can be monuments of democracy and design."— William Deverell, Director, Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West