Informing the Future of Santa Monica Airport

In partnership with the City of Santa Monica, our research team conducted an extensive study of the historical landscape associated with the Santa Monica Airport. Our primary objective was to assist the city’s efforts in transitioning the airport to a vibrant public space that not only aligns with its natural surroundings but pays tribute to its rich historical legacy following its closure at the end of 2028.

This story map summarizes the historical conditions of the Santa Monica Airport site not as a static, untouched piece of land, but as a dynamic landscape, shaped by both natural and human processes that began long before its colonization by Europeans. Understanding the historical, ecological, and cultural aspects of the area, including soil composition, water distribution, and habitat types, is critical for planners to create a sustainable future for the site.

The story of the Santa Monica Airport begins in 1917 when an open stretch of land in the area served as an informal landing strip for their World War I Biplanes (City of Santa Monica). The founding of Douglas Aircraft Company in 1922 led to the “production and testing of military and civilian aircraft” in the area (City of Santa Monica). By 1924, the site was named Clover Field by the Army Air Corps, commemorating a fighter pilot who was killed in action (City of Santa Monica). In 1927, Clover Field officially became Santa Monica Airport. During World War II, the Douglas Aircraft Company became a defense contractor with 44,000 employees operating in and near the Santa Monica Airport (City of Santa Monica). This marked a period of significant economic growth and led to the construction of thousands of homes for workers and their families creating lasting neighborhoods like Sunset Park. The airport continued to grow through the 1940s and ‘50s with pilots and soldiers returning from war. Extremely loud and polluting civilian jets arrived at the airport beginning in the 60s triggering frustrated residents to call the first of many community hearings (City of Santa Monica). Eventually, these hearings would lead to court cases between the airport and the city of Santa Monica. After nearly five decades of litigation and strategic investments of resources to gain local control, the City of Santa Monica achieved a significant milestone in 2017. A settlement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the city authority over the Santa Monica airport, marking a pivotal moment for the future of the city (City of Santa Monica Staff Report, 2023). This project entered a new phase on January 24, 2023, when the Santa Monica City Council approved a public process to determine the airport’s future, reflecting a commitment to community engagement in shaping the urban space (City of Santa Monica). In late 2023, Sasaki was chosen as the consultant for this project. Among the various proposals for the airport’s future, the most popular idea is to transform the airport into a “great park” (City of Santa Monica Staff Report, 2023).

The Los Angeles Basin is a coastal plain surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains to the North, and the Santa Ana Mountains and San Joaquin Hills to the East and Southeast (Yerkes, 1965). The coastline extends from the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the South to Malibu in the North. The Santa Monica Mountains expose the makeup of the basement rocks of the region, which consist of clastic sedimentary layers from the late Cretaceous to Pleistocene periods and volcanic rock from the middle Miocene (Yerkes, 1965). On the Northern coast at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains lies Santa Monica. The Los Angeles Basin has a surprisingly steep relief and complex structure for its young age and size (Yerkes, 1965). Significant changes in rates of deposition over the course of its history combined with more recent folding and faulting from tectonic activity resulted in “pronounced lateral variations in lithology and thickness in most of the sedimentary rock units” (Yerkes, 1965, p.A15). 

At one site in Santa Monica near Ohio avenue, unconsolidated sediments make up the surface to a depth of about 20 meters where there is a thin layer of saturated sediments followed by solid sedimentary rock (Catchings et al., 2008). Within this solid layer, there are various intrusions including the metamorphic rock slate, which is formed by subjecting shale to intense heat and pressure (Catchings et al., 2008). There is significant regional variation in the surface layer size and composition, but this site serves as a general approximation of the immediate surrounding area. The Santa Monica fault and associated scarps traverse various depths 

The Santa Monica Airport sits on the eastern edge of the Ballona Creek watershed (Ballona Historical Ecology). Historically, streams flowed from the Santa Monica mountains into the basin, through Santa Monica, and into the Santa Monica Bay. Before intense human development, these streams were highly dynamic and free to meander through the region, creating various alluvial formations and soil conditions. One ephemeral stream flowed across the northern corner of the Santa Monica Airport site along the border of the bluff toward Ballona Wetlands.

Grooves carved out of the southern border of the bluff the airport sat on suggest smaller ephemeral streams likely brought water from the top of the bluff to the lower lying area below (USGS TOPO, HABITAT MAP). This water would collect in vernal pools ¹  surrounded by a wet meadow. Constant seasonal rain cycles caused the repeated filling and drying of this area, leading to the high alkalinity of the soil there. 

As the human presence in the region increased, so did the channelization and use of natural waterways. Through the 1920s, the ephemeral streams of the region still had room to flow, but after the 1930s, most of the paths’ water flowed through were paved over or redirected. You can see the historical stream slowly get destroyed by the growth of the airport and surrounding neighborhood.

(1) Vernal pool: Seasonal pools that are a unique type of wetland habitat. They are shallow depressions that contain water for a part of the year, typically in the winter/spring season and dry up in the summer.

As the human presence in the region increased, so did the channelization and use of natural waterways. Through the 1920s, the ephemeral streams of the region still had room to flow, but after the 1930s, most of the paths water flowed through were paved over or redirected. Historical stream slowly get destroyed by the growth of the airport and surrounding neighborhood.

Santa Monica is situated in a Mediterranean climate ² , characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This climate shapes a diverse ecosystem, where species have evolved to withstand wildfires and developed strategies to minimize water loss.

The airport site hosted a coastal sage community – a diverse assembly of plants that thrives along the coastal terraces and foothills of Southern California and Northwestern Mexico. Coastal sage scrub vegetation typically features aromatic shrubs with widespread complex roots and buds near the base and roots. The roots play a crucial role in absorbing water within the soil during droughts. The root buds are “critical for vegetative regeneration after a fire” (De Anza). Mediterranean climates support coastal sage scrub communities, with mediterranean climates being characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This climate shapes a diverse ecosystem, where species have evolved to withstand wildfires and developed strategies to minimize water loss.

(2) Mediterranean Climate: Located between 30° north and 45° south of the equator, this climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild wet winter conditions.

Here are a few of the notable pollinator-friendly and native species ³  from a catalog of all native and non-native species ⁴  within a 10 mile radius of the Santa Monica Airport. Many of the plants hat were observed pre-development in the catalog are characteristic of coastal sage scrub communities. Some of these plants serve as lifelines for wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and bees, while also contributing to ecosystem resilience through bank stabilization and ground cover.

(3) Native species: Species that live in a specific region or ecosystem due to natural evolution, and aren't introduced by humans.

(4) Non-native species: Species that are known to be exotic or alien species, that are introduced to an area and do not occur naturally.

(5) Perennial plant: A plant that lives for more than two years and regrows every spring.

The diverse flora of coastal sage scrubs support a variety of different fauna. The nectar and pollen from scrubs and other flora attract pollinators and insects that in the future attract other birds, lizards, and small mammals that feed on them.

The Gabrielino/Tongva, known as the "people of the earth," served as the original caretakers and guardians of the vast land encompassing modern-day Los Angeles. Their ancestral territories stretched from the grand San Gabriel Mountains to the flowing waters of the Santa Ana River. Puvungna, nestled in present-day Rancho Los Alamitos in Long Beach, marked the genesis of their rich cultural heritage. Kuruvungna, meaning "A Place where we are in the Sun," held profound spiritual significance for the Gabrielino/Tongva people. Situated near enduring springs, which still trickle from the Santa Monica Mountains, this sacred site epitomized their intimate connection to the land.

The ecological history of Southern California is inseparable from the indigenous populations who actively shaped their environment using traditional techniques. California shows “various stages of ecological succession, or fire sub climaxes, intensified and perpetuated by seasonally scheduled burning” (Anderson, p.156). This dynamic interaction with the land fostered a harmonious balance, preserving the region's natural splendor.

Transformation of this area from being San Vincente to Santa Monica began in 1828 when Don Francisco Sepulveda received the land grant. It later led to a subdivision in 1974 by a senator and co-founder of Santa Monica, this would eventually encourage more industrial development of the land. 

From 1900 to 1917, the springs also served a vital role in the region’s development, providing crucial water supply to the burgeoning city of Santa Monica, a testament to the enduring resilience of nature's bounty.In 1925, a high school was constructed over the site, known as Harding High School. Eventually in 1954, the springs would be designated as a California State Historic Preservation Site No.552 to where it still flows today on University High’s campus.

The site of Santa Monica Airport holds a rich ecological and cultural history that extends beyond what meets the eye today. Through this research we can better imagine what Santa Monica was like before colonization and early 20th century development. Atop a raised bluff surrounded by plentiful ephemeral streams amongst a fire resilient mediterranean, sits our site.

 By gaining a deeper understanding of the landscape where the great park is to be built, we can make more informed, research-driven decisions as to what the area should look like for generations to come. We must thoroughly understand the previous two hundred years to reimagine the next.