DOWNTOWN GATEWAY

In 2022, the Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP) and SITELAB urban studio released the Downtown SF Public Realm Action Plan.This plan recognized the opportunities and challenges facing Downtown and proposed a bold vision to guide the transformation of the district into a social destination.

The first opportunity site identified by the plan, Landing at Leidesdorff, was redesigned in 2023 with a new mural, street graphics, and furnishings to activate the alley in collaboration with local businesses. Following this success, SITELAB and DSFP continued their collaboration, and SITELAB led the concept design for the next opportunity site – the cable car turnaround at Robert Frost Plaza, a long neglected public space at California and Market Street. Due to its highly-visible location and importance as an arrival point into the city, it is at the forefront of these efforts identified in the Public Realm Action Plan to redefine what downtown is and will become. This site is envisioned as the “Downtown Gateway.” 

The design transforms this plaza beyond a mobility junction and creates a place for people to meet, enjoy, and discover Downtown SF. Interpretive signage around the cable car, lighting, clusters of seating, and art are added that establishes a sense of arrival and highlights the historic cable car as a unique feature of San Francisco. With a $100,000+ grant from San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Downtown SF Partnership and SF Planning carried forward the implementation. The centerpiece of the design is the “Heart SF” gateway art piece fabricated by AD/S in the Summer of 2025, which frames the iconic California Street Cable Car and serves as an attraction for visitors and locals alike to engage with the city.