Three hundred acres of land and orange groves once cascaded out among the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. In 1911, Glendora was officially declared as a Californian city. It was home to generations of citrus farmers and the neighboring rural communities of grapefruit abundant Claremont and lemon copious Azusa. As the 1950s approached, a time of radical change for the state, our bountiful pocket of California shifted its focus to a culture parallel of the urban way of living so radiant among the west-coast.
Progressive ideologies of a fast-moving world led agricultural towns to give way to larger-scale residential development. This presents challenges as our community aims for a utopia where infrastructure demands, traffic congestion, and affordable housing aren’t realities of our society. As city-planners work tirelessly to organize the communities within and surrounding Glendora, living demand and costs reach an all time high. With this comes the loss of convenience for some and drastic decrease in quality of life for others. Continuously addressing these problems and being intentional in our actions to prevent them can lead to the dynamic urban center intended originally.
As changes began to unfold in Glendora, socio-economic changes followed. These shape the demographic makeup and cultural landscape we know today. An influx of residents from more diverse backgrounds brought a level of enriched community to the city and fostered the practice of tolerance and inclusivity among residents. Urbanization brought expansion of business as well as creating a deeper navigation of job opportunities and improved welfare for some members of the community.
Significant change was brought to Glendora as it evolved from a past of citrus groves to a conurbation of opportunists and family living. However, this evolution didn’t slow down as the future approached. We are living in the presence of a constantly renovated metropolis. This includes the abundance of new small businesses and projects such as The Foothill Goldline or 1762 Dale Road. This will lead to new accessibility and room for expansion of residential income, cultural, and age diversity in the city.
The fast pace of an urbanized city continues to be relevant in the mentality of Californian living. Taking this with a grain of salt as to the preservation of natural beauty, acceptance of difference, and environmental concerns, points to a future of a thriving community.
