Featured image credit: Homeispv
All cities require a great deal of forethought and planning. Yet, more often than not, these plans develop, and a few decades later, the city grows a character of its own, independent of its designers’ intentions. A rare outlier can be found along the Pacific coast, pristinely poised upon the breathtaking Palos Verdes Peninsula. We’re of course referring to Palos Verdes Estates, a city that, over a century after its founding, still strongly echoes the intentions of its creators in its gently winding roads, awe-inspiring coastal views, and impressively cohesive design. So, how did the planners over 100 years ago create a design so airtight that it managed to resonate through to the modern era?
A Lasting Urban Design
In the 1920s, Palos Verdes Estates was just a dream, albeit the shared dream of a group of ambitious investors, a distinction that makes all the difference. At the head of this group stood Frank A. Vanderlip, a New York banker who had already handily purchased a significant portion of the scenic Palos Verdes Peninsula. Along with his partners, Vanderlip envisioned a community that would marry natural beauty, architectural elegance, and an uncompromising control when it came to vision.
This meant enlisting the peerless talents of landscape designer Charles B. Huntington and urban planner John Nolen, both of whom had already built a reputation for savvy design strategy, specifically in terms of civic planning. Together, they clarified a goal that was, to say the least, ambitious. They would not just establish a harmonious, visually inspiring environment, blurring the boundary between residential life and natural splendor. They would ensure it lasted.
The Planning That Gave Palos Verdes Estates Its Resilience
Even in the 1920s, Los Angeles was a massive grid of streets, boulevards, and avenues. Palos Verdes Estates notably sought to buck the established template, opting instead for a design of curvilinear streets. It was the most effective way to compensate for the peninsula’s numerous hills and bluffs. Not only did this method reduce the environmental impact of the development. It also ensured virtually every resident would enjoy a wealth of scenic vistas from every angle. The result was a city that found a coveted suburban tranquility worlds apart from the denser developments mere miles away.
A reverence for classical architecture is also evident in the homes of Palos Verdes Estates, stretching back to the community’s origins. The city’s homeowners’ association set design guidelines that suggest Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial, and similar classic styles to reinforce this aesthetic unity. The homes in this upscale suburb are situated on generous lots of land with meticulously manicured setbacks. It promotes feelings of privacy and liberty simultaneously.
That liberty was intended to transcend personal lots into shared community spaces. To this day, residents of Palos Verdes Estates enjoy unfettered access to coastal bluffs, hiking trails, and parks that encourage connection with nature. By so carefully integrating constructed and natural elements, the original founders of Palos Verdes Estates managed to build the city’s seemingly impermeable reputation for serenity and exclusivity.
The Timelessness of Palos Verdes Estates
Has Palos Verdes Estates changed since its establishment in the 1920s? Of course. But these developments are remarkably minor, especially when compared to surrounding cities and neighborhoods. Most would agree that, at its core, Palos Verdes Estates has preserved its original character and intent to a stunning degree. But how much of that original intent would matter without the commitment of residents over the years to stringently uphold the developmental restrictions, scenic preservation, and architectural standards that resonate throughout the community?
This vigilance also creates a scarcity that makes it difficult for new potential residents to purchase a Palos Verdes Estates home of their own. On the rare occasion that an area home hits the market, it’s at an understandable premium. And the demand is always there.
Power in Planning
We’d be remiss to discount the influence that prescient, thoughtful urban design had on the Palos Verdes Estates we recognize today. The elegant balance of aesthetics, nature, and lifestyle is still preserved over a century later, building the city’s reputation as one of the most desirable enclaves in the Greater Los Angeles area. It’s a testament to careful planning in an urban environment.
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