South Park, San Francisco
South Park, San Francisco, an urban commons since 1855. Built as a gated oval at the heart of an English Crescent residential enclave for patrician families, this classic private park absorbed waves of change as the neighborhood gave way to merchants, workers and industrial businesses. In time, it became a far less rarefied public park, but remained a jewel in an area bereft of green space. A prism for city-shaping trends, the park has been a camp for earthquake survivors, a windmill-irrigated orchard, a haven for kids and dogs, and today a de facto great room for start-ups (Twitter roosted here), creatives and an inter-generational, mixed-income community sharing the urban scene. For over two decades, neighbors have raised funds, made improvements, brain-stormed, and are now distilling a Master Plan to bring South Park into this century—a blend of historical mindfulness and contemporary vision. Kids will play on sculptural forms, workers and neighbors (and dogs) will find better places gather, the tree canopy will be revitalized, and the greensward re-engineered for sustainability. With City cooperation and a 501C3 umbrella, the South Park Improvement Association is poised for a capital campaign: The Dwell/Sub-Zero Preservation Award could be the cornerstone.
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