San Francisco, California

The Leland Avenue project is San Francisco’s first streetscape redesign as part of the City’s Better Streets program. The Planning Department initiated the program with a pilot project, selecting Leland Avenue with the goal to redesign the “main street” of Visitacion Valley into a vibrant ‘green street’. The project entailed an extensive community design process to envision the streetscape improvements, with the goal of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the street and revitalize its commercial business.

The goals developed working with the Visitacion Valley community include:

• Improving the district’s identity and appearance
• Increasing the economic viability of small businesses on Leland Avenue
• Enhancing pedestrian safety and conditions
• Creating better pedestrian connections to the Third Street Light Rail

Coined the ‘New Leland Avenue’ during the community design process, the streetscape improvement project area stretches approximately four blocks from Bayshore Boulevard to Cora Street and creates the needed link between the Visitacion Valley greenway system, the Bayshore/3rd Street light rail and future Schlage Lock development.

MMP developed a final set of green streetscape guidelines that were incorporated into the Redevelopment Area Design Guidelines to establish standards for sustainable streets and open spaces. These guidelines aid the San Francisco Planning Department in developing new zoning consistent with the desires of the community. These apply areawide including the Village Center on the Schlage Lock Site.

Specific detailed improvements designed by MMP include changes to curb line geometry, permeable paving and decorative treatments, parking layout, mini plaza and amenity arrangements, and streetscape elements such as street trees, street furniture, lighting, corner bulb-outs, crosswalk improvements, and a plan for under-grounding of public utilities.

Owner/Client: City of San Francisco

Team Lead: Van Meter Williams Pollack