Shared Spaces

Shared spaces have transformed San Francisco's streets and sidewalks local business communities are more resilient and our neighborhood centers are more vibrant and lively sidewalks and parking lanes can be used for outdoor seating dining merchandising and other community activities.

We're counting on operators of shared spaces to ensure their sites are safe and accessible for all.

When paramedics firefighters and other first responders arrive at a scene they need clear visual access to see the building entrances exits and storefront windows from the street that means park glitch should be transparent in the areas above 42 inches above the sidewalk level.

It's best if these areas are totally unobstructed but transparent materials may be okay. You can check with fire department staff to make sure your site meets visibility requirements.

Emergency response crews and their equipment also need to move easily between street sidewalk and buildings especially when they are using medical gurneys ladders and other firefighting tools that means that parklet structures need a three foot wide emergency access gap every twenty feet as well as a setback of three feet from the ends of marked parking spaces.

Emergency access gaps need to be open to the sky without obstructions like canopies roofs or cables and should always be clear of tables, chairs, planters and other furnishings.

Emergency responders need to use ladders to reach windows and roofs of buildings and the ladders need uninstructed overhead clearance and room to be placed at a 72 degree angle against the building. Clearance is also needed around these ladders to move equipment and people safely up and down so not all parklets can have roofs and canopies depending or the width of the sidewalk in your area

Please make sure that your electrical cables are hung so that they're out of the way and have strung from the building to the shared space structure they can easily be pulled down by firefighters.

Cable connections need to be powered from an outdoor rated receptacle in the building facade because hardwired connections are much more difficult to disconnect quickly

These updates to the shared spaces program will help to ensure safety and accessibility for everyone so we can all enjoy these public spaces

More information is available at sf.gov/sharedspaces