The United Nations Plaza in San Francisco is both an internationally historic and locally significant public space that must be conserved, curated and stewarded. It must not be trivialized as a theme park or exercise yard. Calling on Mayor Breed to immediately halt all construction in the United Nations Plaza  pending comprehensive public hearings and explicit public approvals of  binding formal plans including design criteria, timelines, budgets, funding sources and contracts' review as is standard and proper in all legitimate public capital projects. https://tinyurl.com/z7snx9tb

As  appreciators and  residents  of San Francisco, we want to protect The Heart of the City Farmers Market from the vague plan, released on Aug 1 2023 by SF Recreation & Parks Dep't "Pardon Our Mess" (also dubbed “the Done Deal Plan”) that is proceeding in haste and without any authentic public community process. This risky scheme is too likely to cause irreparable harm to people, our neighborhoods, to our City's stature and to the throughline of the image of peace and justice the United Nations represents around the world  ( Detailed response to “Done Deal Redevelopment Plan”: https://tinyurl.com/yf85mk2e )

If the Done Deal is such a great plan, why the rush and secrecy?

From 2016 -2019 we as a community devoted thousands of hours to the Civic Center Public Real Plan. It just won the AIA California 2023 Prize for Excellence in Community-Based Urban Planning. The Civic Center Public Realm celebrated the Farmers Market and the accessible Commons. The Pardon Our Mess Plan bears no resemblance. 

What could be lost if we don't act now?

-Heart of the City Farmers Market: for 42 years has been a pioneer in the worldwide Farm to Table movement, preventing the Tenderloin from being a food desert in the middle of one of the richest cities in the world. The Done Deal forced HOTC FM  into a “temporary” site for 6 months that has suddenly become 2 years. Small Businesses and  farmers need our support, not friction.The Farmers of the Market are truly Covid First-responders, we must recognize and honor their work.  The Farmers Market has been nourishing our community for over four decades and bringing people from all walks of life together. Without them the downtown neighborhoods would be much hungrier.

- Free public access to a profound legacy of civic participation: Americans with Disabilities Act, legislation protecting the rights of people with HIV-AIDS, years of civil rights, environmental actions and peace actions - also happened here. But it is now fenced off and everyone is “kept moving”. With APEC coming to SF and election season in full force, SF is under Federal indictment not to just sweep poor folk out of sight,  it appears that SF leaders are willing to sacrifice the long term stature of the City for short term optics.

- Architectural integrity: Designed by National Medal of Art awardee Lawrence Halprin and dedicated in 1972 to honor the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, this plaza stands as a symbol of public transit access, unity, diversity, and inclusivity. Its historical significance cannot be overstated; it is here that the United Nations Charter was drafted by representatives from all over the world in 1945, within San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood.
Tampering with the structure and surfaces puts at risk the Plaza's historic registry listing, making it vulnerable to ongoing commercial exploitation.

- Public trust in SF budgetary and legislative integrity: The Done Deal was dropped on the public and HOTC Farmers Market on Aug 1, 2023  in the newspaper describing groundbreaking on Sep 5 2023 with no hearings, no clear timelines, design criteria, budgets or competitive contracts. The Downtown neighborhoods of San Francisco have mature community planning processes ongoing in partnership with the City but they were ignored altogether in formation of this plan.  

SF has seen more than its share of corruption. Sunshine is the only remedy. 

We demand transparency in planning processes and reject any attempts to privatize this cherished gathering place. In preserving the legacy of United Nations Plaza we  continue to offer San Francisco as an international beacon that fosters unity, diversity, and inclusivity.

 Let us come together as a community to heal the Heart of the City and ensure that this incomparably significant public space, The United Nations Plaza, remains intact, free and open to all.