Landscapes of the Bay Area

How did the landscapes of the Bay Area overlap? This map depicts the overlapping Natural, Urban, and Industrial landscapes of the Bay Area.

The Pollution Landscape, 1970—2000

In 1982 news broke that Fairchild Semiconductor's manufacturing facility in South San Jose had leaked industrial solvents into the soil and groundwater, affecting nearby drinking wells operated by the Great Oak Water Company that supplied 16,000 residents. By the end of the decade, numerous leaks, spills, and contaminations would be uncovered.

San Jose Annexations, 1850—2010

After 1945, the City of San Jose embarked on an aggressive annexation campaign in the Bay Area with the intent of becoming the "Los Angeles of the North."

Mountain View Annexations, 1940—1990

Mountain View underwent dramatic expansion like many of the Bay Area cities in the postwar era.

Conservation Lands in Santa Clara County

The protected lands of Santa Clara County are administered by various local, regional, and federal agencies. The interactive map shows which areas of the land are administered by particular agencies.

Urban Areas of the San Francisco Peninsula

After 1945, every municipality in the Bay Area underwent aggressive expansion. Annexations, incorporations, and consolidations created a sprawling, complicated map of urban areas on the Peninsula.

Population Growth of the Bay Area, 1940—2010

In the postwar era, the Bay Area's population expanded rapidly as migrants came to California to work in new defense industries and take advantage of new suburban opportunities.

Journey-to-Work in the Bay Area, 1958

A key criticism of conservationists and environmentalists in the Bay Area focused on the massive uptick in traffic that resulted in smog obscuring the views that many residents enjoyed. Here is a snapshot of where people were commuting from in order to visually understand the traffic flow between suburban homes and suburban offices.