"With the city set to commemorate in April the 100th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906, seismic experts and structural engineers say San Francisco could be devastated again by a major temblor despite a century of improved building design and firefighting expertise.
Much of the problem involves the very architectural styles that give the city its charm.
In contrast to Los Angeles, where most people live in low-slung housing that tends to hold up well in earthquakes, San Francisco is a much denser city and has a far higher percentage of residential structures that experts worry could fail in a big quake."
