Abstract
At the end of the 1970s Californians passed Propositions 13 and 4, essentially changing how their state functioned. This thesis investigates how the city of Sacramento, California utilized various growth strategies during the 1980s in order to make up for the revenues lost as a result of the passage of Propositions 13 and 4, thus addressing the lack of attention other scholars pay to the Sacramento region. Too many Californians fail to understand the effects of Propositions 13 and 4, as evidenced by recent opinion polls. Through an overall analysis of Sacramento and case studies on the Central City, North Natomas, and the Crocker Art Museum, this thesis exposes how Propositions 13 and 4 altered the very nature of how Sacramento perceived and carried out its urban development. Thus, this thesis demystifies the complicated nature of Sacramento’s urban landscape in order to better comprehend how Propositions 13 and 4 drastically shifted California’s urban mindset.