Historical Districts
"No city can hope to understand its present or to forecast its future if it fails to recognize its past. For by tracing the past, a city can gain a clear sense of the process by which it achieved its present form and substance; and, even more importantly, how it is likely to continue to evolve. For these reasons, efforts directed to identifying and preserving San Diego's historic and archaeological resources - with their inherent ability to evoke the past - are most advisably pursued." -- The City of San Diego's adopted General Plan
"A historical district means a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects that are united historically, geographically, or aesthetically by plan or physical development and that have a special character, historical interest, cultural or aesthetic value, or that represent one or more architectural periods or styles in the history and development of the City." (San Diego Land Development Code Section 113.0103) Historical District Policy; Policy 4.1 on establishing historical districts (PDF: 198K).
Historical District Types
Many times, buildings that are not significant in themselves become important when viewed as part of a larger collection. Typically residential neighborhoods with high concentrations of similar homes having a common history are candidates for historical districts.
There are four primary types of recognized historical districts. These include geographic/traditional historical districts, thematic historical districts, voluntary/traditional historical districts and emerging historical districts. Learn more about each of these districts below.
Geographic/Traditional Historical District: Covers a small geographically definable area with an identifiable boundary.
This type of District is the traditional type that includes a finite group of resources related to one another in a clearly distinguishable way and within a geographically definable area, which have related character, architectural styles, interrelationships, and physical proximity and association. Typically 65 percent of structures are contributors.
Thematic Historical District: Has no boundary.
This type of District includes a finite group of resources related to one another in a clearly distinguishable way by a common theme related to historical context, architectural style, development period, or other characteristics, where visual continuity is not significant and sites are not necessarily located within a geographically contiguous area. One hundred percent of structures are contributors.
Voluntary/Traditional Historical District: Covers a small geographically definable area with an identifiable boundary.
This type of District includes a group of resources which are part of a finite number related to one another in a clearly distinguishable way with related character, theme, architectural styles, development period, or other characteristics, and which are located within an area that has had a historical survey completed and is geographically identifiable. The establishment of a Voluntary/Traditional District requires 51 percentof the potentially contributing sites to volunteer their property for designation.
Emerging Historical District: Variable geographic boundaries expected to narrow as the district develops.
This type of District includes a group of resources related to one another in a clearly distinguishable way with related character, theme, architectural styles, development period, or other characteristics within a geographically identifiable area which could one day cumulatively develop sufficient concentrations to bring it to the level of a Geographic or Thematic Historic District. Requires initiation by 10 percent of estimated potentially contributing sites.
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