Shared Spaces application worksheet

October 1, 2024

Shared Spaces Application Worksheet (PDF)
  1. Sidewalk or Curbside Shared Spaces
  2. Roadway closures
    1. 2. Wait for our email
    2. 3. Provide additional documents
    3. 4. Get your permit
    4. 5. After your permit is issued
  3. Private Lots

Sections

  1. Sidewalk or Curbside Shared Spaces
  2. Roadway closures
    1. 2. Wait for our email
    2. 3. Provide additional documents
    3. 4. Get your permit
    4. 5. After your permit is issued
  3. Private Lots

These are the things we will ask you in the application. 

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Sidewalk or Curbside Shared Spaces

  1. Your contact information
    • Name
    • Email
    • Phone Number
  2. About your space
    • Do you have a pandemic Shared Space?
    • Do you want to operate your Shared Space after April 1st, 2023?
  3. Type of Shared Space you would like to apply for:
    • Sidewalk
      • Tables and chairs
      • Display merchandise
    • Parking lane
      • Public parklet
      • Fxed commercial parklet
      • Movable commercial parklet
      • If applying for a parking lane permit, you will need to know your curb color:
        • green
        • yellow
        • white
        • no color
  4. Your Business Account Number (BAN - look it up here) and Address of Business Account Number
  5. Proposed Shared Space Site Address: Project Address (and/or Block and Lot number for your address (block and lot will auto populate after adding project address)
  6. Primary Business Activity
  7. Your gross revenue from your most recent tax return
  8. Does this business location have an outdoor space other than a Shared Space?  (Yes/No)
  9. Does your business have 11 or more locations worldwide?  (Yes/No)
  10. Will you be serving alcohol?  (Yes/No)
  11. Will you be serve or provide food?  (Yes/No)
  12. Will you have amplified sound? (This includes TVs with sound, live music and any amplified sound)  (Yes/No)
  13. Your business hours
  14. Information about your proposed parking lane
    • Does it have parking meters? If yes, number of parking spaces (2 spaces maximum)
    • Is the parking space Marked or Unmarked?
    • Tell us more about how your parking lane will be used (short answer)
    • Does it have a bike path or is it next to a driveway, other unusual features?
    • If sidewalk permit, how many linear square feet of sidewalk for your shared space?
  15. Permit Holder Information
    • Only one permit holder per site. Your co-operators are only for informational purposes. As the permit holder, you will have all the legal liability and responsibility for the space use and permit obligations.
    • If you will have co-operators:
      • Other name of business sharing the space
      • Contact person
      • Phone number
      • Email address 
  16. Neighboring Consent
    • For sidewalk use, you must get your neighbor’s permission to use any of the sidewalk in front of them.
    • For parking lane use, you may need to get our neighbor’s permission. See this diagram and Neighboring Letter of Consent Form
      • If more than half of marked parking space is not in front of your storefront. You must get their permission if any of an unmarked parking space is not in front of your storefront.
      • If you will be using a neighboring space: Neighbors name, neighbor’s phone number, neighbor’s email AND
      • Get them to sign our Neighbor Permission form
      • Download the Shared Spaces Neighboring Letter of Consent PDF. On the permit application, you will also tell us their name, email, and phone number
      • Fill out the details and sign the form. You and your neighbor must sign the form
  17. Optional demographic information
  18. Photos of your site

  • For existing parklets

    • Sidewalk views
      • 6-foot clear path of travel on the sidewalk
      • Deck threshold level with the sidewalk
      • Setbacks from an intersection: 20 feet for oncoming traffic and 8 feet from exiting traffic
    • Parklet structure
      • Width of the entire parklet from outer edge
      • of structure or barriers to the curb face
      • 3-foot setback on both ends of the parklet from the end of the parking space
      • 3-foot access gap that is open to the sky every 20 feet. If your parklet has more than 1 gap, take pictures of each one.
      • A picture showing visibility and airflow about 42 inches high
    • Parklet details
      • Displayed street address
      • 6-inch-by-6-inch clear gutter
      • Reflective materials on corners of parklet from the street to the top of structure
      • Accessible table or facility in the parklet
      • Flexible delineator posts and wheel stops in the correct position

Label your pictures with names with what they show. You will upload them when you apply.

  • For sidewalk permits and all new permits:

    • Take 5 pictures that show
      • 3 street views (from the right, front, and left)
      • 2 sidewalk views (from the right and left)

Label your pictures with names with what they show. You will upload them when you apply.

19. Certificate of Insurance(COI)

20. Site Plan (PDF)

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Roadway closures

  1. We will ask you about: 
  2. Your contact information 
  3. Business Account Number (BAN), if you have it
  4. Proposed location 
  5. Time you want to use the space 
  6. How you want to use the space
    • “Run of show” listing the times for set-up, event activities, and breakdown/clean-up.
    • Staffing – for barricades, security, cleaning, etc.
    • Public/private – whether the event is free and open to the public; ticketed (whether or not tickets or free); or private/restricted (e.g., to organization members only, etc.).
    • Whether there will be any entertainment, music, or amplified sound.
    • If alcohol is being served, details on what is being served, by whom, and what license arrangements will be pursued.
    • Security arrangements – overall security plan, including number of staff assigned to function, and name of security company if applicable.
    • Estimate of attendance and of crowd capacity of space; arrangements for when event nears capacity.
    • Waste management and recycling plan.
    • Proposed outreach plan to inform residents and businesses on the block(s) to be closed, and other impacted stakeholders, of your request to close the street. Outreach is generally best conducted after applying and consultation with ISCOTT/SFMTA Special Events staff, but if some outreach has already been done, describe as part of the event write.
    • Water plan – San Francisco legislation restricts the sale or distribution of packaged water at ISCOTT-permitted events with more than 100 attendees. Most events that are not either athletic or dance parties will not require any water plan.  
  7. The activities you want to do in the street space:
  • The furniture, equipment, or other physical objects you want to use in the street space  
  • The layout for these activities 
  • If you want to serve alcohol
  • For events after April 1, 2023, you will need to upload:
  • A proposed site plan
  • Documentation of any community outreach and support
  1. It will take about 10 minutes to fill out this form.
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2. Wait for our email

We will email you in 10 business days to talk about next steps. 

We will tell you if you cannot close the street for your event. 

If your street is a good fit for a Shared Space, we will work together on the next steps. 

If your application is better suited for another type of permit, we will let you know. 

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3. Provide additional documents

We will work together to complete our process. 

You may need to prepare: 

  • Insurance documents, such as proof of general commercial liability and workers compensation 
  • Site plan should consist of a to-scale drawing(s) showing the street, sidewalk, stages, booths, fencing, barricades, and any other objects placed within the requested closure area and include the following, as applicable:
    • All streets to be closed – accurate and to scale, and including features such as parklets, sidewalk bulb-outs, transit islands, bike share stations, and curb cuts/off-street parking access.
    • Emergency access lane (14 feet minimum; wider may be required) running straight through all closed blocks.
    • Number and location of booths, with food and/or beverage booths clearly indicated.
    • Stages (with ramps shown) and tents, if any.
    • Beer gardens or other alcohol sales areas, if any.
    • Number, location, and type of recycling and refuse containers.
    • Portable toilets (and hand washing stations), including those which are ADA compliant.
    • Any fencing.
    • Space for monitored bicycle parking (for events with 2000 or more attendees).
    • Any other physical objects that will be placed on the street or sidewalk.
    • Muni routes, transit shelters and bus stops.
    • Manhole and utility covers in the street.
  • Additional neighborhood support from n​​​earby businesses and residents, local merchant or resident associations, or District Supervisor 
  • Other permits for certain business activities (see below)
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4. Get your permit

We will work with you to issue a permit and make sure you follow all safety rules.

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5. After your permit is issued

SFMTA will ask you for:

  • Certificate of Insurance with required language (Waiver of Subrogation)
  • Additional Insured endorsement Certificate of Insurance with required language (Waiver of Subrogation)
  • You will receive barricades and paper or metal “no parking” signs from the SFMTA (as part of your permit fee
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Private Lots

As of April 1, 2023, Shared Spaces permits for private property will no longer be valid and operators will need additional approvals from outside of the Shared Spaces program for continued use of these outdoor sites.

Many existing Shared Spaces private property locations will be able to establish the outdoor use permanently by adding an Outdoor Activity Area use. Depending on your location, this Outdoor Activity Area use can be added with a Building Permit. Otherwise, it may require a Conditional Use Authorization.

To identify which forms you need to submit for
the specific permits you need for your business (including land use authorization), please follow this step-by-step process. After you submit this online

form, the Planning Department will email you all the forms you need to fill out for your proposed uses. Please describe clearly in your form submission that you have a temporary Shared Spaces private property permit that you would like to transition

to a permanent Outdoor Activity Area land use authorization. If you need help filling out this form, the Office of Small Business may be able to provide direct assistance.

You may also visit the Planning Information Counter at the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, or email PIC@sfgov.org, to ask how you can make your outdoor space permanent. If you have any additional questions about the transition of Shared Spaces private property permits, please contact sharedspaces@sfgov.org.

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