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Sidewalk Gardens in San Francisco

After taking on San Francisco City Hall, architect Jane Martin helped spawn a movement that has rendered the city’s sidewalks more hospitable to birds, bees, butterflies—and even to Homo sapiens. Check out this map that we've designed to pinpoint several of Martin's gardens that have come to life on the streets of San Francisco.

Harrison Street Greenway (Mission District)

In the late 1970's, several sidewalk extensions were created along Harrison Street by the planning department in an attempt to humanize this extremely wide residential street. However, because they were fully paved and in addition to already-wide expanses of sidewalk, a bleak landscape remained.

Harrison Street between 16th and 24th streets
San Francisco, California
18th/Shotwell/Folsom (Mission District)

This neglected stretch of sidewalk surrounding a fenced parking lot is being transformed through sidewalk gardens.

San Francisco, California
2700 22nd Street (Mission District)

Occupying a corner location, the sidewalk landscaping at this urban victorian single family home doubles the area of its private back yard, while benefitting the neighborhood instead of being only for the owner's enjoyment. The semi-formal design expands basins at existing trees. At the owner's request, exotic species are featured alongside several native species and a lemon tree. All plants are drought tolerant and require no irrigation. Landscape design by Shift Design Studio.

2700 22nd Street
San Francisco, California
348 Scott Street (Lower Haight District)

San Francisco native species are the highlight of this sidewalk garden. The owners' young children were involved in the planting and observe the garden's growth from the living room window as well as on their way out the door. This is an example of a simple way to bring nature back to our everyday urban lives. All plants are drought tolerant and require no irrigation. Landscape design by Shift Design Studio.

348 Scott Street
San Francisco, California
1634 Jerrold Avenue (near 3rd Street, Bayview District)

1634 Jerrold Avenue
San Francisco, California
4201 22nd Street (Noe/Eureka Valley District)

The first phase installation of this sidewalk garden introduces permeability and vertical greening with vines along the building's edge. This creates a buffer between the house and sidewalk and gives pedestrians the feeling of walking through a garden. The full design features espalied fruit trees and other drought tolerant edibles for humans on the house side while edibles and habitat for birds and butterflies appear on the street side. No irrigation is required. Landscape design by Shift Design Studio.

4201 22nd Street
San Francisco, California
16th and Mission BART Station (Mission District)

With renovations completed at the southwest corner of the 16th and Mission BART station, Plant*SF encouraged the neighboring Wells Fargo Bank to de-pave a narrow passage along the fenceline and plant a climbing fragrant vine for the environmental and social benefits of greenery in this public space.

3027 16th Street
San Francisco, California