Shortly after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit San Francisco in 1989, Clark Manus, CEO of Heller Manus Architects, assembled a group of local architects to help redesign and rebuild the devastated areas. The team, comprised of American Institute of Architects San Francisco members, produced a report that evaluated the benefits of removing the damaged Embarcadero Freeway.
After the report was presented to officials, San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos sought further urban design and architectural advice from Manus.