See where you actually stand.

CONTEXT

San Francisco’s SoMa district, particularly Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets, serves dual and often conflicting purposes. The area is home to the Moscone Center, one of North America’s largest convention facilities, which hosts major events like Dreamforce, Game Developers Conference, and Salesforce’s annual gathering. These conferences draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, generating over $1.5 billion in economic impact for the city. During these events, the block of Howard Street in front of Moscone is routinely closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate event logistics, outdoor exhibition spaces, and pedestrian safety zones.

The complication arises from the fact that these closures occur during what are already the busiest traffic days in San Francisco’s downtown core. Convention traffic, combined with regular commuter patterns, creates gridlock that frustrates both drivers and pedestrians. Yet the city demonstrably functions during these closures—emergency vehicles are rerouted, deliveries are rescheduled, and traffic adjusts. This raises a critical question: if the city can absorb the temporary loss of this street during peak periods, why is the street needed as a vehicle corridor at all? The answer lies in exploring whether permanent conversion to a pedestrian plaza would better serve the public interest, especially as cities worldwide increasingly recognize the value of reclaiming street space for people rather than cars.

PROBLEM

The core problem is a misallocation of valuable public urban space. Howard Street between 3rd and 4th is currently a four-lane vehicle corridor that, during non-convention periods, carries modest traffic volumes relative to its capacity. Meanwhile, the city suffers from a severe shortage of public plaza space in the SoMa district. The area around Yerba Buena Gardens, while providing some green space, lacks the kind of vibrant, active pedestrian environments that attract residents, workers, and visitors to linger and spend time. The existing sidewalk widths on Howard Street are inadequate for the pedestrian traffic generated by the Moscone Center, hotels, and nearby cultural institutions like the Museum of Modern Art.

The cost of inaction is measurable. San Francisco forfeits the economic and social benefits of a plaza that could generate property value increases, tax revenue from food vendors, and improved quality of life for residents. Comparatively, New York City’s conversion of Times Square from vehicular thoroughfare to pedestrian plaza increased nearby retail rents by 20% and reduced pedestrian injuries by 35%. San Francisco’s own experience with permanent street closures—such as the transformation of Market Street’s eastern sections—shows that reclaimed street space becomes an attractor for investment. Without action, this block remains a noisy, polluted vehicle corridor during the 330+ days per year when conventions aren’t in session, serving neither drivers efficiently nor pedestrians adequately.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

The proposal calls for permanently closing Howard Street between 3rd and 4th Streets to vehicular traffic and converting the space into a public plaza integrated with Yerba Buena Gardens. The recommended approach follows the SPADE decision framework: First, establish the Situation—the block is already closed for 30-60 days annually for conventions with demonstrated success. Second, Decision—the city should commission a feasibility study and community design process for permanent conversion. Third, the Action—enact legislation through the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to designate the block a pedestrian-only zone, with exceptions for emergency vehicles and service deliveries during restricted hours.

Alternatives considered include partial closures (weekends only) or seasonal plazas, but these create confusion and underutilize the investment. The implementation machinery draws from San Francisco’s own Pavement to Parks program, which has successfully converted dozens of intersections and streets into temporary plazas with minimal cost. Permanent conversion would require repaving with permeable materials, installing permanent seating, lighting, and landscaping (estimated $3-5 million), funded through a combination of the city’s Public Space Bond and developer impact fees from nearby high-rise projects. Ongoing maintenance could be funded through a community benefit district or vendor fees from food trucks and permitted events.

EXPECTED IMPACT

The primary beneficiaries would be SoMa residents, convention attendees, workers in the area, and visitors to Yerba Buena Gardens and the Museum of Modern Art. The plaza would create approximately 12,000 square feet of new public open space in a neighborhood where open space per capita is below San Francisco’s citywide average. Based on comparable projects in San Francisco and elsewhere, the plaza could attract 200-400 daily users during weekdays and 500-1,000 on weekends, increasing foot traffic to adjacent businesses by an estimated 15-25%.

Economic impact would manifest through increased property values on adjacent parcels (studies show 10-30% increases near quality public spaces), new retail opportunities, and revenue from food truck permits and event rentals. Safety outcomes would include a near-elimination of traffic incidents on this block and improved pedestrian connections between Yerba Buena Gardens, the Moscone Center, and the SFMOMA campus. Environmental benefits include reduced vehicle emissions in a high-traffic area, improved stormwater management through permeable paving, and heat island effect reduction. The metric of success would be measurable within two years through pedestrian counts, local business revenue surveys, and property value analysis.

DECISION LENS

PRECEDENTS

EXAMPLE: San Francisco, CA — What: The Pavement to Parks program converted multiple street segments into permanent plazas, including the Guerrero Street Plaza in the Mission District and the Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro — Outcome: These plazas saw 30-50% increases in pedestrian activity and became neighborhood anchors for community events and retail activity. — Outcome: These plazas saw 30-50% increases in pedestrian activity and became neighborhood anchors for community events and retail activity. EXAMPLE: New York, NY — What: Conversion of Broadway’s Times Square and Herald Square to permanent pedestrian plazas from temporary street closures — Outcome: Pedestrian injuries dropped 35%, nearby retail rents increased 20%, and traffic flow actually improved on adjacent streets due to simplified intersection patterns. — Outcome: Pedestrian injuries dropped 35%, nearby retail rents increased 20%, and traffic flow actually improved on adjacent streets due to simplified intersection patterns. EXAMPLE: Barcelona, Spain — What: Creation of “superilles” (superblocks) that permanently close selected streets to vehicles and convert them to pedestrian plazas with green infrastructure — Outcome: Air pollution decreased by 25% in superblock areas, pedestrian activity increased 50%, and local business revenues rose 15% as more people lingered in the reclaimed spaces. — Outcome: Air pollution decreased by 25% in superblock areas, pedestrian activity increased 50%, and local business revenues rose 15% as more people lingered in the reclaimed spaces.