The Presidio
Subtitle: from Army post to national park
By: Lisa M. Benton.
Publisher: Northeastern Unniversity Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 277
Subjects: Presidio of San Francisco (Calif.) -- Planning; Presidio of San Francisco (Calif.) -- History; Presidio of San Francisco (Calif.) -- Geography; San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.) -- Geography; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Buildings, structures, etc
Description: Lisa M. Benton places her analysis within the context of the rich military and cultural history of the Presidio, the interdependence between San Francisco and the base, and the conventional missions of the National Park Service. She thoroughly examines the Park Service's recommendation to manage the Presidio with a public/private partnership - an unusual proposal that sparked heated and highly politicized debate in Congress.

Benton, who observed many of the hearings and negotiations firsthand, examines the economic, political, social, and environmental complexities raised by the plan, and shows how grass-roots organizations, philanthropists, business and political leaders, and other advocates ultimately helped preserve the Presidio as a showcase for both nature and culture.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-270) and index.