Mayor and supervisors celebrate new parklets and plazas; city to add more site conversions this year

Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and city staff on Tuesday celebrated newly completed plazas created through the Pavement to Parks program and announced plans to expand the initiative with additional parklets and small plazas around the city.

At the ceremony the mayor said the program began modestly in the Castro and has grown into a broader effort to "democratize our streets," noting that streets occupy about "25% of the land mass of this city" and represent an opportunity to create more public space. Newsom said the city planned to add roughly a dozen more parklets and plazas by the end of the calendar year and described the projects as low-cost investments (typically a few thousand to $10,000–$20,000) that rely on community partnerships, volunteer labor and pro bono design work.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who introduced legislation and supported the project, said the new plazas respond to local open-space planning and help improve quality of life in dense neighborhoods. Project partners and designers described materials reuse and community involvement: John Bella of Rebar said much of the park construction used recycled or repurposed materials — granite curbs, older debris boxes converted to planters and other reclaimed items — and Planning Department project manager Andres Power and neighborhood organizer Jillian Gillette also spoke about local participation. The mayor thanked corporate and nonprofit partners including Sutter Health, Safeway, AT&T, Rebar and local contractors who contributed pro bono services.

The project team said examples of forthcoming parklets and plazas include sites in Hayes Valley, Mission/Valencia, Noe Valley and North Beach. City staff emphasized the program’s community-driven nature and said they would monitor and adapt designs based on neighborhood feedback.

Speakers - Mayor Gavin Newsom - Supervisor Sophie Maxwell - John Bella (Rebar, designer) - Andres Power (project manager, Planning Department) - Jillian Gillette (neighborhood cochair)

Clarifying details - Planned expansion: the mayor said the city had completed two plazas and planned roughly 12 additional parklets/plazas within the year; typical project cost ranges cited as a few thousand dollars to $10,000–$20,000 per site. - Materials: designers reused city materials where available (granite curbs, older debris boxes, black granite from Market Street storage lots) and emphasized pro bono design and contractor contributions.

Authorities - Public Works Code process for commemorative plaques and public improvements referenced elsewhere on the agenda; specific statutory citations for parklet program not provided in the transcript.

The announcement was celebratory and informational; the board did not take legislative action on the program at this meeting.