San Jose: Then and Now
Heart's Delight Apricots
“What has happened to the land of heart’s delight?” As blossoming fruit orchards were razed by bulldozers and fertile crop land was paved over, farmers in the prosperous Santa Clara Valley found themselves asking this. San Jose was a rapidly growing city with a burgeoning population. Without strict zoning, the flat agricultural lands around it were easy targets for development. With no consideration for schools or other infrastructure, miles of housing were built along the quiet country roads. As the demand for housing grew, homes sprawled outward over the fruitful valley floor and farmers were pushed out of the area. In ten short years, the valley of “heart’s delight” was gone.
San Jose continues to grow rapidly. Here are some photos showing the changes in San Jose in thirty years: then (1976) and now (2006).
Terraform Earth 