The Bayview Community Parks Project strengthens the identity of this historically neglected community while providing a mechanism to address the prevalent urban issue of gentrification through community-owned design. Through a community-based approach to rethinking public open space, the pro-bono project creates a long-awaited amenity for the marginalized Bayview neighborhood through three gateway parks highlighting the cultural richness and ecological importance of this area.

Sitting at the southeast edge of San Francisco, the Bayview neighborhood is marked by the Bayview Hill, which is dotted with endemic flora and fauna as well as massive and historic rock outcrops. Unlike the city’s Presidio entrance to the north through the Golden Gate Bridge, there is no indication you are entering the city from the southeast. As a result, the project began with the idea of creating a new gateway for the Bayview neighborhood. During early community meetings, however, this quickly expanded to become a comprehensive vision for a cohesive public parks network.

Together with the Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association and San Francisco Public Parks, the team helped identify parcels of land available in the neighborhood as future green spaces that would not only serve as gateways to the community but also as identifying features that could help mold the unique character for the area. These Community Parks and Design Guidelines—developed jointly by the community and the design team—provide a relevant solution to developing these urban fragments, creating both a beautified space and a way to establish a sense of place and identity for the Bayview neighborhood. Not only does this project provide a sense of identity for this neighborhood, but it also serves as a significant case study applicable to other communities facing similar open space equity and environmental challenges that are looking to create a true community design.

Photography: HOK