The Future of Downtown San Francisco

San Francisco’s downtown has been struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic. People have been slow to return to work leading to empty office space, declining real estate values and a corresponding blow to the city’s tax base. In addition, small businesses in and around the area have suffered due to the extreme decline in foot traffic while, in part due to misleading media coverage, many perceive the area around downtown as overrun by crime and drugs. This project will provide the Board with research and proposals regarding revitalizing and revisioning downtown San Francisco. This Capstone project will propose ways forward for downtown San Francisco. The emphasis will be on a holistic approach that not only revives the area economically, but strengthens ties between downtown and the rest of San Francisco, and makes the area more accessible and appealing to a broader range of San Franciscans.