STEINER-DUBOCE CORNER UPDATE

Working with a group of local landscape architects, Friends of Duboce Park (FDP) has developed a plan to make that underutilized corner a more attractive and welcoming gateway to the park. As someone approaches that corner now, they are greeted with a large green sign of rules for conduct in Duboce Park and quite often by transients sleeping in the area.

FDP hosted three community meetings in November and December of 2012 and January 2013 to present and get feedback on the design. The current plan takes into account comments from both the Recreation and Parks Department and community members.

A low, semi-circular wall creates more seating, a common request from park users. The design of the low wall is very similar to the wall around the Scott Street Labyrinth, with angled cutouts on top of the wall to deter skateboarding, and drought tolerant low shrubs and ground covers behind the wall to preserve the direct line of sight into the park.

The addition of the way finder signs that will be incorporated into the design of the wall backs will point to and offer walking distances to nearby key facilities and neighborhoods, e.g., Harvey Milk Center for the Arts, the Harvey Milk Photography Center, the Lower Haight and Castro neighborhoods, CPMC, Buena Vista Park, Mission Dolores Park, Alamo Square, and Dolores Park. The way finder signs will be incorporated into the design of the wall or plaza.

A permanent, low-maintenance printed sign, about 6” in diameter, will be incorporated into the bench design and will list a telephone number with extension numbers that offer visitors and neighbors with cell phones access to oral histories about Duboce Park. The landscape architects working on the project have made sure that the new elements will not add visual clutter. FDP will be preparing MOU’s with Rec & Park regarding the project. The Parks Commission must approve the project.

The Steiner-Duboce Corner Park Improvement Plan brings the concept of San Francisco’s Better Streets Project to life with a thoughtful and creative plan to make that corner of Duboce Park both more attractive and safer. The Better Streets Plan provides a unified set of policies and guidelines for the design of the pedestrian realm in San Francisco, defined as the areas of the street where people walk, shop, sit, play, or interact – outside of moving vehicles.

If you would like to express your view on this project, please send your comments to mark@friendsofdubocepark.org.