About
San Francisco Planning is updating the City’s General Plan. The General Plan creates a roadmap for the City’s growth and change over time. It consists of goals and policies that will help the City address topics such as racial and social equity, housing, mobility, safety, climate resilience, and land use.
These updates will carry out the Planning Commission's June 2020 directive to incorporate General Plan policies that advance racial and social equity. This work also actively informs the Department's response to the devastating health, economic, and housing crises resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We want to make sure that the updated General Plan benefits all San Franciscans. Our virtual events explored the role of the General Plan and the updates that are being made, and provide an opportunity to share ideas that San Francisco can take to achieve an equitable, livable, and sustainable future.
The main goals of these virtual events:
Make participation accessible for community members by offering several virtual event opportunities.
Gather input by offering more opportunities to influence the Department’s policy and program decisions.
Engage and build knowledge among San Franciscans, particularly American Indian, Black, and other People of Color on:
- the role of the General Plan on the social and economic outcomes of our residents;
- the work of the Planning Department in the context of the General Plan;
- the importance of environmental justice in advancing racial and social equity; and
- the Department’s approach to engagement, particularly during the Stay Safe at Home Order.
Offer a “one-stop-shop” for residents to meet with the City Agencies participating in the General Plan updates.
Past Sessions and Resources
| Event topic | Description | Resources |
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| What does the Planning Department do? | Learn about how the Planning Department works to improve your quality of life, from building a vision for healthier neighborhoods to monitoring and guiding changes in the land that surrounds you. We will provide a tutorial on the functions of the Planning Department, including how decisions are made and who is involved. Attendees will learn how to navigate this 200+ person organization, how to access planning and land use information, and how to become involved in projects that affect your neighborhood. |
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| General Plan Kick-Off – special guest Mayor Breed | Join this session to hear from a panel of City leaders on how today’s challenges and tomorrow’s visions are captured by the General Plan. Our keynote speaker will provide opening remarks tying our current crises and recovery efforts to the City’s future, and department leaders will share successes from implementing the goals and policies within the General Plan. |
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| Safety and Resilience Element Workshop | The Safety and Resilience Element Update will provide a comprehensive set of policies for minimizing San Francisco’s contribution to the climate crisis and ensuring local resilience to multiple hazards. It will help protect the assets and people of San Francisco, especially areas and communities that face higher vulnerability to disasters. |
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| Planning for Healthy Communities | Come to this session to learn how the planning and public health professions can work together to foster better health and well-being in your community. We will provide an overview of factors in our social and built environments that can influence our health outcomes. Staff from the Department of Public Health (DPH) will provide an overview on the community health needs assessment, with a focus on data that captures priority issues affecting health. Then, we will discuss the impetus, process, and outcomes of local planning and health initiatives, including Vision Zero SF and San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s Urban Agriculture Program. A panel discussion will follow their presentations. |
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| Racial and Social Equity Action Plan Workshop | In this workshop, participants will learn more about the Action Plan, Equity Resolutions, and the SF Office of Racial Equity. We will share preliminary information on barriers to equity that community members have helped us identify to-date. Then, we will host a discussion for participants to identify additional disparities, propose additional solutions to advance equitable planning processes, and elaborate on the City’s working definition of racial and social equity. |
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| Environmental Justice Framework Workshop | San Francisco Planning is developing a new project working to ensure all San Franciscans live and work in healthy and clean environments. The City’s Environmental Justice Framework will set clear goals and actions to advance health in communities of color and low-income communities that face higher pollution and other health risks. Attendees will be introduced to Environmental Justice policy areas and will explore the draft Environmental Justice Communities map. This workshop will also give you an opportunity to share your ideas about how we can collectively create a safe and clean vision for San Francisco. |
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| Transportation Element Workshop | The Transportation Element sets policies for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. Come to this workshop to help us shape the principles and policies that will be used to guide decisions the City will make about transportation – about how you, your family, and friends will get around. |
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| Housing Element Info Session | The Housing Element is San Francisco’s housing plan for the next 8 years (2023-2030). It is the first that will center on racial and social equity and will include policies and programs that will help shape the future housing landscape in San Francisco. This update will determine what our housing needs are and how we will work to address them. |
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| The Impact of Youth Voices in Community Planning | Join us for a discussion from a panel of community engagement practitioners to delve into San Francisco Planning’s approach to engagement, detail how we’ve adapted our engagement during Stay at Home Order, and share our successes engaging with children and youth in partnership with Y-PLAN. |
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| Recovery Strategies Workshop | City agencies are working together to develop a coordinated Recovery Strategies work program to provide immediate and on-going measures that will help support the City’s economic recovery and cultural vitality. Attendees will be introduced to the recovery topics of housing, neighborhood business, neighborhood life, and workspaces and will explore potential efforts for recovery. This workshop will also give attendees an opportunity to share their ideas about how we can collectively recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Couldn't attend Events?
Didn't make it to our Virtual Events? This engagement summary describes the events and attendees over the two weeks. Don't worry – this is one of many outreach and engagement events for the General Plan updates. Please visit the General Plan webpage to learn about other engagement opportunities, including forthcoming in-language sessions for Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino speakers.
Virtual Events Schedule
