Fact or fiction? In the course of the Weekly's 25-year history, we've published
several stories on the state of Palo Alto and the people who
live here. As we took a look back in time to write this story,
we found several amusing and grim predictions by residents, city
officials and academics about the city's future. Below are excerpts
and quotes from past stories. Whether some of these claims are
now truth or fantasy is, in some cases, subjective. (Richard Carlson, an economist at Stanford Research
Institute) is optimistic about the "Palo Alto differential" of
housing prices being reduced in the future. That differential --
a house
in Palo Alto costing so much more than the same house in another
nearby city -- will go down, Carlson said. One reason is the aging
of the Eichlers. Another, he said, is the continuing traffic congestion
and urbanization -- Palo Alto is slowly losing a little of specialness.
-- Weekly, Aug. 24, 1983. "
We have fewer and fewer young kids," (Hal Anjo, city's human
services department) said, "but more and more single parents
and families where both parents work. The actual demand for child
care services could be going up, even though the number of children
is decreasing." Weekly, Aug. 24, 1983. --"People here," Dick Carey, director of research for
the Palo Alto school district, continues, "use the public
schools like they use the private schools elsewhere. It's an academic
elite -- parents and students. This isn't a normal population,
by any means." Weekly, Aug. 24, 1983. --"I think this community is going toward an Atherton. The
high cost of housing here is making it a narrower, less diverse
community of wealthy, older people. It's getting a club-like atmosphere," said
(resident) Ed Hillard. Weekly, Oct. 18. --"My fear is that we're going to lose some of those qualities that have made Palo Alto different and better than other communities. My fear is that we're going to become another Los Altos - a far more cautious, conservative, protectionist-type environment, not open to innovation, not open to change in the community," said Palo Alto Planning Director Ken Schreiber. Weekly, Oct. 18.
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