Buchanan Mall
San Francisco, California

In 1975, following years of destructive “urban renewal” programs in San Francisco’s predominantly African American Western Addition neighborhood, five blocks of Buchanan Street were converted into a pedestrian boulevard, known today as the Buchanan Mall.  The surrounding neighborhood suffered from the effects of the drug epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s, with increased crime and violence creating an atmosphere of fear in the Mall.  This fear persisted until recently when a multi-disciplinary project team undertook a unique and ambitious public outreach effort involving the programming and design of the park by community members themselves.

Together, the community and design team developed a capacity for reflective listening – synthesizing objectives and ideas into a coherent, compelling design.  The outcome is a concept design that addresses the community’s primary concerns and connects the five park blocks through key design strategies: developing functional exterior spaces that promote community, connectivity, and socialization; providing accessible circulation and wayfinding; clarifying boundaries between public and private spaces; renewing the existing streetscape; and celebrating the neighborhood’s story and culture through visual, artistic displays.

Project Team:  Trust for Public Land, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Citizen Film, Green Streets

Awards: Merit Award, Community Impact, ASLA Northern California Chapter, 2021