San Jose / Guerrero Park

The log structures that composed the planters at the Park have been removed and replaced with fiberglass planters and low maintenance, drought-resistant plants. Repaving of Guerrero St has been programmed for March, 2017. Delineators along the bicycle lane along the Park will be installed by SFMTA after the repaving is finalized. Click here to leave comments and receive updates!

UPDATE

Beginning in October, 2016, the Pavement to Parks team began renovations on the San Jose Guerrero Temporary Plaza. This phase focused on removing the log structures that composed the planters surrounding the plaza up until this date. These structures are being replaced with fiberglass planters and low maintenance, drought-resistant plants. A ground mural was proposed as way to refurbish the deteriorated coating, help in visually delineating the plaza, as well as provide an activity for the community to be involved. SFMTA will add safe-hit posts to delineate the plaza. During this phase, the community will be engaged in order to establish a formal stewardship group and maintenance plan for the space. The fiberglass planters will serve as a placeholder until the permanent improvements are implemented.

SITE BACKGROUND

Vehicle speeding on Guerrero Street, and the area around the intersection with San Jose Avenue, prompted a series of improvements to the neighborhood to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. San Jose Avenue was closed at its intersection with Guerrero Street and is now a two-way “cue street,” providing local access to residents along the block.

DESIGN DETAILS

The design of the resulting space was developed by Jane Martin of Shift Design Studio who provided services free of charge to the City. Raised planters, made of reclaimed logs from Golden Gate Park and featuring native and drought tolerant plants, are placed along the edge of the plaza facing Guerrero Street, creating a comfortable place for relaxation, contemplation, and more active uses. Reclaimed segments of stainless steel ducting are filled with soil and plants in order to further demarcate the plaza space from the adjoining vehicular roadways. The soil used at this site is made in San Francisco by combining landscape clippings from parks and horse manure from the Police Department’s stables. Café tables and chairs are brought out in the morning and taken in at night. Future plans for the plaza include a children’s play structure. For a conceptual plan of the Phase 1 plaza, please click here.

FUNDERS & DONORS

Donors include California Pacific Medical Center (St. Luke’s Hospital), Safeway and Mitchell’s Ice Cream. Jane Martin of Shift Design Studio designed and built this Parklet free of charge to the City.

Material Donors:
Bamboo: Bamboo Sourcery
Apple Trees: A to Z Tree Nursery
Signage: La Hue & Associates
Concrete Demo: Sunset Concrete

Phase I

Before:

Installation:
Volunteers helped install the landscaping.

After:

Above images courtesy of Flickr user Brian Kusler, Creative Commons attribution.

Above images courtesy of Flickr user Brian Kusler, Creative Commons attribution.

MEDIA COVERAGE

• 04/11/2010, Mission Local: Guerrero Park Blossoms in a Sea of Concrete (Bridget Huber)
• 09/22/2009, New York Times: Pavement to Parks (Allison Arieff)
• 09/18/2009, SF Chronicle: Odd places turn into public art spaces in S.F. (John King)
• 09/08/2009, Streetsblog SF: San Francisco’s Two Newest Trial Plazas Nearly Complete (Michael Rhodes)
• 08/31/2009, Streetsblog SF: Eyes on the Street: Timber! San Jose/Guerrero Plaza Gets Tree Stumps (Michael Rhodes)
• 08/25/2009, Streetsblog SF: ConstructionStarts on Two New Pavement to Parks Plazas (Michael Rhodes)
• 07/17/2009, Streetsblog SF: San Jose and Guerrero Plaza Could Mark Triumph Over Deadly Traffic (Matthew Roth)
• 05/16/2009, Architect’s Newspaper: Planting in the Streets (Lydia Lee)
• 10/2008, Noe Valley Voice: A Refuge from the Road (Heather World)