Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) has been making history for over 60 years. Now, with a new collaborative agreement with the San Diego History Center, that history will soon be available to the next generation of civic leaders.
Digitized, curated archive
In a collaborative agreement executed by San Diego History Center President and CEO Bill Lawrence and C-3 President Ryan Karlsgodt, C-3’s extensive archive becomes part of the San Diego History Center’s collection. San Diego History Center staff and volunteers will oversee the process of making the C-3 Collection accessible digitally.
Selected source documents and materials dating back to 1961 have already been digitized and can be viewed in an interactive archive published on C-3’s 60 Years on the Edge web page at http://www.c3sandiego.org/60Years.
“The archive chronicles not only the changes in the built environment of San Diego,” says Lawrence, “but also the historic impacts of the organization’s advocacy and the history and stories of some of San Diego’s most preeminent civic leaders who, through C-3, shaped the future of land use and policy in San Diego.”
“C-3 co-founder Lloyd Ruocco’s vision was to bring together our region’s most creative minds from the arts, sciences, academia and government to share ideas, learn new perspectives and build fellowship around the idea of creating livable communities,” said C-3 President Ryan Karlsgodt. “The early days were shaped by several couples such as Roger and Ellen Revelle, Walter and Judith Munk and James and Anne Hubbell.”
Karlsgodt confirms that one of the organization’s strongest assets is the knowledge gained over the last six decades because while the issues may evolve, the fundamental questions remain the same.
“Since its founding in 1961, C-3 has been dedicated to preserving and improving our region’s built and natural environments,” he said. “Our objective has been to influence critical policy, planning and design through education, empowerment and advocacy. As Lloyd Ruocco put it, ‘How can we make a city that is fit to live in?’ That is the fundamental question that guides our work.”
C-3 launches podcast: The Finest City
One component of the C-3 archive is a special set of oral histories that walk through six decades of battles won and lessons learned at the forefront of civic engagement. These interviews will be publicly broadcast through C-3’s new podcast “The Finest City,” starting with a first episode that debuted on Friday, October 22. Episode one covers the founding of C-3 and a decade dedicated to promoting the “Build Beautiful” movement in San Diego. Listeners can access The Finest City first episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/san-diegos-homegrown-modernist-architect-lloyd-ruocco/id1560233005?i=1000539374721 and through most podcast services.
C-3 land use planning timeline
As another part of C-3’s 60 Years at on the Edge digital media celebration, C-3 and the History Center collaborated to produce the first iteration of a digital timeline of the history of C-3, which is available at http://www.c3sandiego.org/60Years#DigitalTimelines.
About Citizens Coordinate for Century III
Founded in 1961, Citizens Coordinate for Century III is dedicated to preserving and improving our region’s built and natural environments. Our objective is to influence critical policy, planning and design through education, empowerment and advocacy. www.c3sandiego.org
About San Diego History Center (SDHC)
The San Diego History Center, founded as the San Diego Historical Society in 1928, has always been the catalyst for the preservation and promotion of the history of the San Diego region. A Smithsonian Affiliate, SDHC seeks to engage audiences of all ages in connecting the past to the present and set the stage for where our community is headed in the future. Through the flagship museum in Balboa Park as well as the Junípero Serra Museum in historic Presidio Park, plus online exhibitions, virtual discussions and a digital image initiative, SDHC is a place where researchers, historians and a global audience can discover and discuss how history is happening now. sandiegohistory.org