Photo credit: Jessica Christian
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2024 — The San Francisco Press Club announced it will honor John King with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its upcoming 47th awards gala on Dec. 4. John retired in October from his longtime position as the San Francisco Chronicle’s urban design critic.
“John King has led a storied career, as the foremost voice writing and speaking about San Francisco’s architectural gems,” said Curtis Sparrer, president of the San Francisco Press Club. “His work beautifully chronicles how the evolution of the city’s skyline reflects its people over time. His observations on the built landscape are a local treasure and we can’t think of a better journalist to honor with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.”
John joined The Chronicle in 1992 and served as design critic from 2001 until his retirement. His writing on architecture and the city’s built landscape has been honored by groups including the California Preservation Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the California chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2002 and 2003.
“My life in journalism was a delight and an education from start to finish,” John said. “To be recognized by peers is an honor I never could have expected, and a reminder of how lucky I’ve been along the way.”
John has also written several acclaimed books, including, “Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities” published in November 2023. He is an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and lives in Berkeley.
John’s award will be presented by two longtime friends and former colleagues: Heather Knight, San Francisco bureau chief for The New York Times; and Peter Hartlaub, The Chronicle’s longtime culture critic.
A limited number of tickets to the Dec. 4 gala are still available for Press Club members and working journalists. Reserve your tickets here today before they sell out!