n aerial birds eye view of San Francisco looking straight down at the skyscrapers and streets in the financial district.
Photo: iStock / Diane Bentley Raymond

The Future of Downtown

The Covid pandemic has created the largest disruption to the life and economy of downtown San Francisco since the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.

The most significant impact on downtown (and other major cities across the country) involves the long-term question of whether workers will return to physical offices – with ripple effects on other sectors such as retail, activation of public space, and transportation patterns. The Planning Department will engage in a coordinated effort across city departments to assess and address these dynamics.

On February 2023, Mayor Breed released the Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future which outlines strategies to guide and support City’s economic revitalization.  

Building on the Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future, in March 2024, the Mayor set a goal to bring 30,000 new residents and students downtown by 2030. The 30 x 30 plan outlines the strategies to achieve this goal.

The Roadmap To San Francisco’s Future envisions Downtown as “everyone’s neighborhood” - a thriving and economically diverse 24/7 neighborhood. In Union Square and Yerba Buena, the focus is on adding new experiences, strengthening destination retail, bolstering tourist activity and expanding uses on upper floors to ensure a vibrant, mixed use, residential neighborhood for San Franciscans and visitors alike. Learn more about the Union Square/ Yerba Buena HEART Action Plan.

The Planning Department and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) are working together, along with external organizations, to address downtown recovery in both the near- and long-term, with a focus on three themes related to downtown San Francisco:

Economic Diversification and The Future of Office

Based on the insights and information from the Covid Economic Impact Analysis Study, led by OEWD with the assistance of consultants, this effort will advance thinking and put forward recommendations regarding the opportunities and challenges in rethinking the economic mix of businesses, industries and organizations physically located in downtown.

Expanding Downtown Housing

With current high commercial vacancy and the likelihood of long-term work from home trends, many are pointing to the opportunity and need to increase the downtown residential population to create a more 24/7 environment and utilize vacant space, both through new construction and conversions of existing buildings. The Planning Department will examine the challenges and opportunities in converting non-residential buildings to housing as well as an assessment of capacity for new housing construction and how well the facilities and amenities downtown support a robust residential population.

  • SPUR released a report that includes an analysis of the physical characteristics of buildings that would make them candidates for adaptive reuse projects, as well as some of the feasibility barriers.
  • Request for Interest (RFI) - Adaptive Reuse of Downtown Commercial Buildings was issued on June 22, 2023. 
  • The City approved legislation on July 5, 2023 (Ordinance No. 159-23) which among other things establishes a new Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse Program (Planning Code Section 210.5). Projects which meet certain criteria are eligible to receive of waivers of Planning Code requirements. The legislation also allows office and housing above the 1st floor in the Union Square area (C-3-R zoning district). Learn more about the Downtown Adaptive Reuse Program. 
  • San Francisco voters approved Measure C on the March 2024 ballot. The City’s transfer tax is now waived on the first transfer of a property after a conversion from commercial to residential use. The exemption is limited to the first 5 million square feet of converted space, and to projects that receive Planning Department approval before January 1, 2030 and then receive a first construction document within three years.
  • September 2024, the Department of Building Inspection published the Commercial-to-Residential Adaptive Reuse Information Sheet which clarifies Building and Fire Code requirements and alternative methods of compliance for adaptive reuse projects. Click here to view the resource guide.

Public Life and Ground Floor Activation

What can we do in the near and long term to fill vacant spaces? What ground floor uses are desirable? How much space is there relative to demand now and in the future? How can we expand the offerings of the street life downtown to include more arts, culture, small business, and services attractive and useful for a broad range of the population, including downtown workers? Building off the recently published Downtown Public Realm Action Strategy commissioned by the Downtown SF Partnership, the Planning Department will identify near-term and long-term strategies to activate the ground floor and public realm.

  • Vacant to Vibrant is a program helping small businesses collaborate with local property owners to create engaging pop-up experiences and community spaces in downtown San Francisco.
  • In 2023, Mayor Breed and Board of Supervisors President Peskin announced $4 million in funding for the Powell Street Improvement Project. The City asked the Union Square Alliance to lead the initial design phases of the project. On June 10, 2024, the Union Square Alliance, in partnership with the City of San Francisco unveiled a design proposal for Powell Street between Market and Geary.
  • The Planning Department is partnering with San Francisco Public Works and the Union Square Alliance to develop a near tern and long term design concept for Maiden Lane. If you are interested in learning more please contact Patrick.Race@sfgov.org.
  • The Planning Department is partnering with SFMTA, San Francisco Public Works and the Downtown Partnership on a design concept for Downtown Gateway at the Cable Car turnaround on California Street.  If you are interested in learning more please contact Maria.Dealva@sfgov.org

 

Hearing Documents

Planning Commission Hearing, February 23, 2023
Supporting Document (2022-010182CWP)
Presentation

Planning Commission Hearing on Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse and Downtown Economic Revitalization (BF 23-0371), May 4, 2023
Supporting Document (2023-003165PCA)
Presentation

Planning Commission Hearing on Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse and Downtown Economic Revitalization (BF 23-0732), July 13, 2023
Supporting Document (2023-003165PCA)

Planning Commission Hearing, November 9, 2023
Presentation (2022-010182CWP)

Map of focus geographies showing outlines of Mid-Market, Union Square and Downtown Gateway (at Ferry Building)
Click on map to enlarge

The Department is working with Downtown stakeholders and other groups to develop comprehensive strategies. These strategies will focus on ways to activate and program public spaces, bring in new uses and activities to the ground floor and adaptive reuse of existing buildings to create housing on upper floors. The geographies include: 

  • Mid-Market
  • Union Square
  • Downtown Gateway

Mid-Market

In Mid-Market, the focus is on leveraging the existing cultural institutions and creative ecosystems to cultivate a nexus for local arts programming.  This includes adapting the existing building stock to bring new activity – including housing and community space – to the area.

looking west along Market Street at the corner of Jones, a cluttered sidewalk with a line of people pressed to one side against a closed storefront
Mid-Market - Today: what we see today looking west along Market Street at the corner of Jones.
looking west along Market Street at the corner of Jones, a color overlay on the image outlines the sidewalks, median and street surfaces
Mid-Market Strategies - Public Life: (1) the much-anticipated Better Market Street Plan is under construction (2) the City is actively working with Mid-Market Business Association and Foundation, Mid-Market Community Benefits District and other organizations to support regular programs in public spaces (3) to make existing and new outdoor events easier by reducing barriers to host these events.
looking west along Market Street at the corner of Jones, a color overlay on the image outlines the the first floor features of retail shops such as signage and entrances
Mid-Market Strategies - Ground Floor: (1) applying tactical improvements to storefronts and activating ground floor spaces (2) Celebrating grand openings, holidays, and other culturally relevant events (3) and supporting other temporary marketing needs by allowing temporary signage, decorative or artistic displays, and video art installations in storefront windows.
looking west along Market Street at the corner of Jones, a color overlay on the image outlines the upper floors and large wall surfaces of buildings
Mid-Market Strategies - Upper Floors: as public realm, public life, and ground floor activation strategies enliven the pedestrian experience, transitioning upper floors to new uses such as housing, institutions, and arts and culture uses can bring more energy to the area. This enables a virtuous cycle where incremental actions compound positive impact over time.

Union Square Area

In Union Square, the focus in on reinforcing our City’s destination retail district by expanding activity on upper floors to include housing and other commercial uses.

looking north up Powell Street with wide, busy sidewalks, retail shops on ground floors and fenestrated upper floors
Union Square - Today: what we see today looking north up Powell Street with wide, busy sidewalks and retail shops.
looking north up Powell Street, a color overlay on the image outlines the upper floors and large wall surfaces of buildings
Union Square Strategies - Public Life: (1) a new streetscape and public realm concept for Powell Street to create a more engaging environment for tourists, office workers and residents. (2) $4M allocated in City budget. Design process to begin in January 2024.
looking north up Powell Street, a color overlay on the image outlines the sidewalks, median and street surfaces
Union Square Strategies - Ground Floor: the public realm concept includes (1) façade and accessibility upgrades (2) temporary activation with pop-up businesses (3) new retail, restaurants, entertainment and recreational uses on the ground floor (4) grand openings, holidays, and other culturally relevant celebrations (5) and supporting other temporary marketing needs by allowing temporary signage, decorative or artistic displays, and video art installations in storefront windows.
looking north up Powell Street, a color overlay on the image outlines the the first floor features of retail shops such as signage and entrances
Union Square Strategies - Upper Floors: as public realm, public life, and ground floor activation strategies enliven the pedestrian experience, adaptive reuse of upper floors can bring more residents to the neighborhood, along with more resident-serving amenities and businesses.

Downtown Gateway

In the Downtown Gateway, the focus is on reimagining the public spaces including our iconic entry to the City and the connection of Market Street to the Waterfront to create a fun and dynamic Downtown experience.

a busy Ferry Building Plaza space with vendor tents and tourists, looking west up Market Street, with palm trees and tall hotels along the Embarcadero
Downtown Gateway - Today: a busy Ferry Building Plaza space with vendor tents and tourists.
the Ferry Building Plaza, a color overlay on the image outlines the Plaza sidewalks, median and street surfaces
Downtown Gateway Strategies - Public Life: (1) implement a program of interactive, evocative, public art and lighting (2) incentivize city-wide cultural and arts institutions to provide satellite services or exhibitions in vacant storefronts and/or public spaces (3) work with the Downtown SF Partnership and other organizations to reduce barriers to hosting outdoor events - for example: leverage existing shared spaces roadway closure permits advance Downtown Gateway design working with the Downtown Partnership and other stakeholders (4) advance Downtown Gateway design working with the Downtown Partnership and other stakeholders.
the Ferry Building Plaza, a color overlay on the image outlines street-level features of vendors, public artwork and ground floor retail along Market Street
Downtown Gateway Strategies - Ground Floor: As more residents move to the area, attract more neighborhood-serving uses including childcare, educational, play and health and wellness uses at the ground floor.
the Ferry Building Plaza, a color overlay on the image outlines the upper floors and large wall surfaces of buildings
Downtown Gateway Strategies - Upper Floors: In addition to the strategies already described, it will be important to attract new anchors for Embarcadero Center to serve new and existing residents.