By Aaron Goodman

Parkmerced, known as “a city within a city,” was designed by landscape architect Thomas Church
and architects Leonard Schultze and Associates, the site’s features and character is unmistakably
Church’s design. This project was a career breakthrough for Church and therefore many of the
details and designs for the individual courtyards and terraces were developed through his site visits
and his office’s personal efforts. This exceptional example of a joint architectural and landscape
endeavor, is currently being threatened by four multi-pronged developments that aim to redefine
the original boundaries, layout, and detailing of the master plan of Parkmerced and the historical
boundaries of the district parcel. The San Francisco State University (SFSU) Office of Capital Planning
and the California State University Regents, Alliance Residential Company, Stellar Management,
SummerHill Homes, and Olympic View Realty (former owner), are all proposing ways in which to
subdivide and reinvent the complex.  To allow the district to be divided, and the parts made un-
whole, is to lose a sense of what rental living can be.

History
Parkmerced is one of only four remaining large-scale garden rental apartment complexes existing in
the United States (the others are Parkchester in the Bronx, New York; Park Fairfax in Alexandria,
Virginia; and Park LaBrea in Los Angeles, California). Developed in the 1940’s by the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company of New York (MetLife), the project was unlike many public housing projects
of the time, as it was an example of a private corporation seeking investment opportunities in the
moderate-income rental housing market. Following its success in the development of Stuyvesant
Town in New York City in 1943, MetLife built Parkmerced to create a long-term, solid investment,
and at the same time, community benefit for returning veterans and families not able to afford the
high price of homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. The complex is associated with the war
preparedness efforts and unprecedented population growth in San Francisco post World War II.
(Note that from 1940 to 1950 the population of California increased by 42%; the largest increase of
any state.)






















Schultze (1877-1951) and Associates with planning and landscape architecture by Thomas D.
Church (1902-1978) with Robert Royston (1917- ), it was known as “a city within a city.” The original
191.5-acre site, contained over 3,480 residential units, and over 8,000 residents. The pie-shaped
blocks and internal courtyards, invite residents in to sloped and terraced patios all intricately and
individually designed and detailed by the landscape architects. This project was a career
breakthrough for Church and therefore many of the details and designs for the individual
courtyards and terraces were developed through the office's frequent site visits and site-specific
details. Perhaps most important, the landscape was seen as an integral function to the primary use
of housing. It is this close cooperation between Schultze and Church that gives Parkmerced its
universal appeal for the many families who chose to live there. It was praised in its design for its
“simplicity, utility, and beauty” and as a “modern community of tomorrow.”
Parkmerced, San Francisco, California
“A city within a city”- a modern landscape
and urban planning masterpiece at risk.”
Part of the original advertising, ca 1956

           History
Parkmerced is one of only four
remaining large-scale garden rental
apartment complexes existing in the
United States (the others are
Parkchester in the Bronx, New York; Park
Fairfax in Alexandria, Virginia; and
Park LaBrea in Los Angeles, California).
Developed in the 1940’s by the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
of New York (MetLife), the project was
unlike many public housing projects of
the time, as it was an example of a
private corporation seeking investment
opportunities in the moderate-income
rental housing market. Following its
success in the development of
Stuyvesant Town in New York City in
1943, MetLife built Parkmerced to
create a long-term, solid investment,
and at the same time, community
benefit for returning veterans and
families not able to afford the high
price of homes in the San Francisco
Bay Area. The complex is associated
with the war preparedness efforts and
unprecedented population growth in
San Francisco post World War II. (Note
that from 1940 to 1950 the population
of California increased by 42%; the
largest increase of any state.)

Designed by Architect Leonard
The information in this website is the property of Parkmerced Residents" Organization.
© 2008 Parkmerced Residents' Organization, All Rights Reserved.
This information may not be copied or distributed without the express written permission of The Board of Directors of
The Parkmerced Residents' Organization.  View our terms of use.
Donations to  Parkmerced Residents' Organization are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
The information in this website is the property of Parkmerced Residents" Organization.
© 2008 Parkmerced Residents' Organization, All Rights Reserved.
This information may not be copied or distributed without the express written permission of The Board of Directors of
The Parkmerced Residents' Organization.  View our terms of use.
Donations to  Parkmerced Residents' Organization are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
The information in this website is the property of Parkmerced Residents" Organization.
© 2008 Parkmerced Residents' Organization, All Rights Reserved.
This information may not be copied or distributed without the express written permission of The Board of Directors of
The Parkmerced Residents' Organization.  View our terms of use.
Donations to  Parkmerced Residents' Organization are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.