Press and Media
Press releases and Posts
Board of Supervisors Unanimously Approves Shared Spaces Permit Extension Legislation (Mayor Breed, Tuesday, March 22, 2022)
Mayor London Breed to Introduce Legislation to Provide Businesses with Additional Time to Make Safety and Accessibility Changes to Shared Spaces (Mayor Breed, Thursday, December 9, 2021)
Shared Spaces are here to Stay (Mayor Breed, Tuesday, December 7, 2021)
Press Release from Mayor Breed Regarding the Board of Supervisor Unanimously Approving Permanent Shared Spaces Legislation Introduced by Mayor London Breed (Mayor Breed, Tuesday, July 13, 2021)
Mayor London Breed Announces Legislation to make the Shared Spaces Program permanent. (Mayor Breed, Friday, March 12, 2021)
Mayor London Breed Announces Program for Outdoor Entertainment and Amplified Sound as Part of City's Reopening. (Mayor Breed, September 25, 2020).
Shared Spaces — Keeping Our Commercial Corridors Alive and Well by Mayor London Breed. (SFMTA, September 4, 2020)
San Francisco to Resume Outdoor Personal Services Starting September 1. (Mayor Breed, August 28, 2020)
Mayor London Breed Announces Outdoor Dining in San Francisco Starting This Weekend. (Mayor Breed, July 9, 2020)
Mayor London Breed Announces Shared Spaces Program to Support Neighborhood Activity and Local Businesses. (Mayor Breed, May 26, 2020)
New Interactive “Shared Spaces” Map and Dashboard Launched. (SFMTA, August 19, 2020)
Supporting Community Needs in the Tenderloin. (SFTMA, July 31, 2020)
Valencia Street and Grant Avenue: The first two “Shared Spaces” Street Closures. ISFTMA, July 23, 2020)
Media coverage to date
Print and web
S.F. restaurants will now pay for parklets. How many are holding on to theirs? The Chronicle, January 20, 2023
Parklet Problems: Restaurant Owners Struggle With New Rules, Reconsider Value of Outdoor Dining SF Standard, January 9, 2023
The pandemic changed S.F.’s public spaces — the fights over them will keep growing in 2023 Sf Chronicle, January 3, 2023
Are California's Parklets here to stay? Fox 5 San Diego, December 8, 2022
San Francisco restaurants owners decide whether to keep parklets before Jan. 15 KRON 4, December 1, 2022
Outdoor Parklet Dining is About to Get Smaller, More Accessible-And More Limited SF Standard, October 14, 2022
San Francisco’s Outdoor Dining Scene Could Change Drastically Soon. Here’s What to Know SF Eater, October 13, 2022
Car-free live music, art return to San Francisco's Valencia Street, SF Gate, September 30, 2022
San Francisco Restaurants Face Deadline With New Parklet Rules Looming KPIX 5, September 23, 2022
Will SF Restaurants Keep Parklets? Deadline Will Force Decision SF Chronicle, August 29, 2022
SF approves shared space permit extension KRON 4, March 24, 2022
Outdoor Dining Parklets Becoming Permanent, But New Permits and Costs Are Looming, SFist, March 8, 2022
Don’t just keep parklets and slow streets, says policy think-tank — bring even more to S.F. SF Chronicle. December 1, 2021
Reimagining Wellington: How San Francisco transformed car parks into public spaces for pedestrians. Stuff - New Zealand. November 8, 2021
SF Supes Vote To Keep Pandemic-Era Parklets Making Outdoor Dining, Bars Permanent. KPIX CBS Bay Area. July 13, 2021
San Francisco's parklets are here to stay, but supes say they can close overnight. SF Chronicle. July 13, 2021
Eating Out(side). SF Weekly. July 1, 2021
Tenderloin merchants, residents come together over street closures. SF Examiner. September 26, 2020.
San Francisco Moves Forward with Outdoor Live Music, Entertainment in Shared Spaces. KQED. September 25, 2020.
Shared Spaces: a crisis-driven experiment that could permanently change SF’s urban landscape. Mission Local. September 22, 2020.
Hayes Street will close to cars every weekend to help businesses gutted by the pandemic. SF Chronicle. August 25, 2020.
As restaurants take over sidewalks to provide pandemic-safe dining, people with disabilities encounter barriers. The Washington Post. August 23, 2020.
Castro stretch of 18th Street to go car-free on Sundays. Hoodline. August 21, 2020,
Here’s How the Mission and Chinatown Look When Restaurants Take Over the Streets. SFEater. July 28, 2020.
Two Blocks on Valencia Street Go Car-Free This Weekend To Celebrated Success. SFiST. July 26, 2020.
Shared Spaces slowly making good on its promises. SF Examiner. July 25, 2020.
Valencia Street goes car-free on weekend evenings for outdoor shopping, dining, and drinks. 7x7 Magazine. July 20, 2020.
Struggling merchants hope Mission’s Valencia Street will bustle again under traffic closure plan. San Francisco Chronicle. July 16, 2020
Car-free Valencia: On-street, outdoor dining approved for three-month pilot. Mission Local. July 16, 2020
Mayor Breed approves program to allow restaurants, small businesses to operate on sidewalks. SF Gate. May 26, 2020.
San Francisco plans to offer sidewalks, streets, public spaces for business activity. San Francisco Chronicle. May 26, 2020.
SF Mayor Says Restaurants Can Take Over City Sidewalks, Parking Spots, and Streets. SF Eater. May 26, 2020.
Television
Valencia Street in SF Mission District Goes Car-Free. KPIX 5, CBS SF Bay Area. July 24, 2020.
2 blocks along SF’s Valencia Street will close to make room for outdoor dining, shopping. KRON4. July 17, 2020.
San Francisco mayor announces program to allow some businesses to operate in public spaces. Fox 2 KTVU. May 26, 2020.
Public Presentations, Hearings, and Informational Webinars
Roadway Closures Application Workshop, Tuesday, January 10, 2023, 9:30am-11am Slide Deck here - Recording here
Parklet Design Training, Thursday, December 15, 2022, 9:30am-11:00am Slide Deck here - Recording here
Shared Spaces and Golden Gate Restaurant Association Application and Site Plan Workshop & Town Hall, Thursday, December 1, 2022, 2:00pm-3:30pm Slide deck here - Recording here
Small Business Commission Meeting, Monday, November 14, 2022
Legislated Application and Site Plan Workshop, 49 South Van Ness - Monday, November 14, 2022, 9;30am-11am Slide deck here - Recording here
Town Hall (live Chinese translation), San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce, November 7, 2022 - 3pm-4:30pm Slide Deck Here (Chinese) - Recording here
Parklet Design Training - Thursday, October 27, 2022 9:30am - 11am, 49 South Van Ness Slide deck here - Recording here
Clement St. Merchant Walk with Supervisor Chan - Friday, October 21, 2pm-4pm
Legislated Application and Site Plan Workshop, 49 South Van Ness - Thursday, October 20, 2022,10am-11:30am Slide deck here - Recording here
Town Hall and Legislated Application Workshop, in partnership with Calle 24 and SF New Deal, Capp and 24th St. - Thursday, October 13th, 4pm-6pm, In language Spanish support
Hayes Valley Community Listening Session with Supervisor Preston - Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Japantown Merchant Walk, Thursday, September 29, 2022
Valencia St. Community Listening Session with Supervisor Ronen, Monday, September 26, 2022
Shared Spaces Parklet Design Training - Thursday, September 22, 2022
Shared Spaces Parklet Design Training - Thursday, August 25, 2022 - Slide deck here - Recording here
Shared Spaces Citywide Interactive Guidelines Presentation and Town Hall - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - Slide deck here - Recording here
North Beach Town Hall - Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - Slide Deck here - Recording here
North Beach Merchant Walk with Supervisor Peskin - Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Bayview Merchant Walk - Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Small Business Commission - Monday, July 11, 2022 - Slide Deck Here - Recording here
Mission, Excelsior, and OMI Town Hall - June 23, 2022 - Slide Deck Here - Recording here
Castro LGBTQ Cultural District - Thursday, April 21, 2022 - Slide Deck Here
Council of District Merchant's Associations - Tuesday, April 19, 2022 - Slide Deck Here
Mayor's Disability Council - Friday, April 15, 2022 - Slide Deck Here
Webinar hosted by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association - Thursday, April 14, 2022 - Slide Deck Here - Recording here
Small Business Commission (SBC) Meeting - Monday, March 28, 2022 - Slide Deck here
Mission Merchants' Association - Thursday, January 13, 2022 - Slide Deck here
Council District of Merchants Association - Tuesday, November 16, 2021 - Slide Deck here
Entertainment Commission - Tuesday, November 2, 2021 - recording here
Small Business Commission - Monday, September 27, 2021 - Slide Deck here (recording coming soon)
Shared Spaces Webinar - Wednesday, September 22, 2021 (recording coming soon) and Slide Deck here
Shared Spaces Webinar - Thursday, September 16, 2021 recording here and Slide Deck here
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Land Use Committee - Monday, June07, 2021
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Land Use Committee - Monday, May 24 2021
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week Webinar and the presentation - Thursday, May 6, 2021
Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors - Monday, May 4, 2021
City Planning Commission - Thursday, April 22, 2021
Entertainment Commission - Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Mayor's Disability Council and the presentation - Friday, April 16, 2021
Municipal Transportation Agency Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MTA MAAC) and the presentation - Thursday, April 15, 2021
Small Business Commission - Monday, April 12, 2021
Municipal Transportation Agency Citizen's Advisory Council (MTA CAC) - Thursday, April 1, 2021
Shared Spaces Best Practices Webinar - Slide Deck on January 21, 2021
San Francisco Planning Urban Research Association on September 23, 2020
City Planning Commission on September 10, 2020
Small Business Commission Meeting on August 24, 2020
Entertainment Commission Meeting on August 4, 2020
Small Business Commission Meeting on August 10, 2020
Newsletter Bulletins *coming soon*
Below is an archive of the email bulletins issued by the Shared Spaces Program. To sign up to receive bulletins, click here.
Transitioning from the Pandemic Program to the Permanent Program (March 17, 2022)
Shared Spaces Compliance Grant (February 17, 2022)
Shared Spaces Program Updates (February 4, 2022)
Shared Spaces Program Updates (January 7, 2022)
Shared Spaces Virtual Q&A (January 12, 2022)
Updated Compliance Timeline and Deadline Extensions! (November 24, 2021)
Updates to Shared Space Manual! (September 10, 2021)
Media Inquiries
Email SharedSpaces@sfgov.org with "Media Inquiry" in the subject line.