Public Space Stewardship Guide
Project status: completed
Successful public spaces require funding, programming, and maintenance; and the most celebrated spaces need community partnerships to implement all three. This project web page provides inspiration, practical information, and ready-to-use tools that will support local leaders and community organizations in their public space stewardship efforts.
The Public Space Stewardship Guide presents a toolkit for funding, programming and maintenance, illustrated by five models for sustainable public space stewardship. Each section introduces a model in general terms, provides an illustrative case study in detail, and includes additional examples. The models provide a helpful framework for understanding each project, but many case studies integrate more than one model. Each case study has strengths and weaknesses unique to the objectives, funding and capacity of the stewarding organization or partnership. Case studies were selected to represent a range of organizations, space types, “use levels,” and budgets.
The resources of the Public Space Stewardship Guide document are just a starting point. The information is based on success stories in San Francisco and throughout the country, but is by no means complete. As public realm planning evolves, we hope that community organizations and cities worldwide contribute public space success stories for this website.
Public Space Stewardship Guide
This guide presents five models for sustainable public space stewardship:
- Event-Based Models
- Grassroots Partnerships
- Public/Private Partnerships
- Self-Governing Special Assessment Districts, and
- Maintenance/Technical Assistance Partnerships
Each chapter introduces a model in general terms, provides an illustrative case study in detail, and includes additional examples.
Appendices
Contacts
Jeremy Shaw
San Francisco Planning, Senior Planner
jeremy.shaw@sfgov.org
628.652.7449
Julie Flynn
The Street Plans Collaborative, Project Director
(860) 539-8061
julie@street-plans.com
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all of the City, County and neighborhood organizations, business owners, neighbors, and artists who are doing great work every day to help San Francisco’s public spaces thrive.
This project is the result of a comprehensive research study of best practices and sustainable methods for public space -stewardship nationwide. The study process included online research, as well as interviews with relevant project and program managers around the country. We would like to thank all of the program and program managers who participated in interviews to help us learn more about their stewardship model.
The Public Space Stewardship Guide is a collaborative effort between San Francisco Planning, the Street Plans Collaborative, and the MJM Management Group.