STEVE MALONE/NEWS-PRESS Alex Pujo moved to Santa Barbara in 1974, intrigued by its geography and the possibility of getting around mainly by foot and bicycle.

If you're looking for someone to design your home or business, don't be put off if architect Alex Pujo rolls up your driveway on his bicycle.

"I've lost jobs because I show up on a bicycle and they say, 'What kind of architect is this that can't afford a car?'" he said.

So now, Mr. Pujo drives his Mercedes-Benz to his appointments. But Mr. Pujo, a native Argentine, prefers other methods of transportation.

Like walking or bicycling. And like so many South Coast residents, he believes more people could easily trade in their cars and use their feet to get around.

He's also a strong advocate of better transit opportunities in the North County.

"I enjoy walking," he said. "It's an inalienable right."

Mr. Pujo made Santa Barbara his home in 1974, hailing from New York City. In New York, he learned to live without a car. He said it was a normal thing.

Interested in geography, Mr. Pujo said he looked at the map of Santa Barbara and decided he wanted to move here. He was intrigued by the mountains, the ocean and the possibilities.

"I came to Santa Barbara because at least you can walk a little bit," he said. "I figured out that it would have to be a real pretty place."

While living in New York, he worked as a graphic designer but he feared Santa Barbara was too small and he may not be able to get a job.

But he took the risk anyway, finding work as a graphic designer. He studied architecture and took classes at Santa Barbara City College, then transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and got a degree in architecture.

But that was in the early 1980s, and there weren't many openings for starting architects. So he went back to graphic design and took more classes at City College. He learned new computer skills and eventually got a job with a firm.

In 1991, he started his own company and has become involved in a number of city and county matters.

"I've seen the city grow," he said. "It has grown in a nice way."

The housing stock is old. Homes are falling apart. But they have charm.

That's why there are a lot of architects in Santa Barbara, he said.

Mr. Pujo spent about eight years on the city's Architectural Board of Review. He learned about the city's strict review process and believes the city looks better because of it.

He met his wife, June, in 1978. They live on Chapala Street near the Santa Barbara Mission and he usually walks or rides his bike to work. They share a car.

Even in sport, Mr. Pujo likes using his feet. He plays in local soccer leagues.

"It brings out the best and worst in people," he said. "It brings out the child in you. It's kind of like a schoolyard. It reminds me of kindergarten."

During the World Cup, his health was "shot" because he was getting up so early to watch the games.

Mr. Pujo thinks splitting the county in two would "hurt everybody."

He doesn't believe that the differences among the people are that great.

Many people who live in Santa Barbara are migrating to the north part of the county to afford a home, he said.

And eventually, Mr. Pujo said, those same people will change the dynamics of the north.