Geary Blvd

GEARY BLVD

THE HEART OF THE RICHMOND

FALL SPRING 2022 UT URBAN DESIGN

CRITICS: DEAN ALMY, GHIGO DITOMMASO (GEHL), LAURA JOHNSON (GEHL)

GEARY BLVD

SAN

LEGEND

Geary Blvd

Site Area

IN 1864

Geary was originally named Point Lobos Road, but was changed to Geary Blvd in the early 20th century after San Francisco’s first mayor John Geary

GEARY BLVD

THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

1923

Geary Boulevard was the first street to be built in the Richmond district. And was one of the first corridors for development in the area

THE STREET CAR

In 1909 a bond was approved to build a street car line from the corner of Market street downtown out to Ocean Beach

1923

The street

remained

BY THE CAR

GEARY BLVD

DEFINING

LEGEND

Commercial Areas

WALKING RADIUS

ave

point lobos ave

irregular blocks

35th ave 40th ave 43rd ave

access to lands end greenspace george washington highschool

site boundary

ave

ave high point

site boundary

asian community richmond public library

greenspace

presidio middleschool blocks

“little russia”

washington highschool

arguello blvd 4th ave 7th ave 10th ave park presidio blvd 25th ave 28th ave 31st ave 21st ave 17th ave

kaiser permanente medical center park presidio blvd 25th ave 28th ave arguello blvd

commercial area

GEARY BLVD

SUBNEIGHBORHOODS

TERRITORIES

Along this 12-block stretch of Geary, the existing building fabric is at a large scale but with many “missing teeth”

This 14-block stretch of Geary Blvd through Central Richmond contains most of the existing commercial fabric

Outer Richmond, between 28th and 40th ave, is a primarily residential street with a few corner cafes.

The portion of Geary which connects to the coast feel almost suburban

The intersection at Arguello Blvd creates an entry point to the Richmond

Park Presidio, the parkway which runs north-south, creates a large intersection

George Washington High School and Presidio Middle School create a threeblock interface along Geary Blvd.

TERRITORY

TERRITORY

arguello blvd

01

GEARY

TERRITORIES

T-01 North side of Geary between 7th and 8th avenue lots of parked cars, several small shops, parking lot, several street trees

T-02 North side of Geary between 22nd and 23rd avenue angled parking, many small shops, many street trees, parking meters on sidewalk

T-03 North side of Geary between 34th and 35th avenue street parking and several cars in driveways, on corner cafe, and no street trees

T-04 North side of Geary between 45th and 46th avenue street parking, building setbacks, fenced in front yards, cars parked in driveway

T-01 T-02

T-03

GEARY BLVD NODES

N-01 The intersection of Geary and Arguello Blvd is the entry point to the Richmond District. The intersection is home to an Office Depot, a parking lot, a gas station, and a corner store.

N-02 The intersection of Park Presidio and Geary Blvd creates a long interruption in the fabric of the street.

N-03 The two-block stretch along George Washington High School creates a barrier in the neighborhood.

VISION

REVIVE GEARY AS THE SOCIAL HEART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

OF GREENER GEARY

NEW MOBILITY PATTERNS TO RELINK THE CITY TO ITS COAST

GEARY BLVD NODE 01

Node 01 occurs at the intersection of Arguello Blvd and Geary Blvd and acts as a gateway to the Richmond District.

LOCATION ALONG GEARY

GEARY BLVD

01 INTERSECTION

Node 01 signals to the visitor that they are about to enter somewhere new and different, and includes elements such as the dune parklet which are a nod to the identity of the Richmond.

EXISTING PROPOSED

LEGEND

Car Infrastructure (roads, parking lots, etc...)

Commercial/Public Programs

Parks/Public Greenspace

Territory 01 is characterized by long low buildings, prevalent parking lots, gas stations, and other car related spaces.

TYPICAL INTERSECTION

TYPICAL BUILDINGS

Kaiser Permanente

Francisco Medical Center

GEARY BLVD

THE STREET

T01

Territory 01 gives visitors and residents opportunities for play and exercise. The pedestrian space and park strip are wide enough to accommodate things like dog parks, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, and other such community spaces.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD

THE INTERSECTION

The intersections of Territory 01 have turning lanes to accommodate greater traffic volume due to the proximity to downtown.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD

NODE 02 PLAN

N02

Node 02 occurs at the major intersection of Park Presidio, the parkway which runs north to Marin County and south to Daley City.

LOCATION ALONG GEARY

GEARY BLVD

BEFORE/AFTER

N02

At Node 02, a density of plantings which mimic the park way, flow into Geary on either side to signal a moment of transition.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD

T02

Car Infrastructure (roads, parking lots, etc...)

Commercial Store fronts

Parks/Public Greenspace

Territory 02 has a finer grain of existing building fabric than Territory 01. This is currently the liveliest portion of Geary, with many small shops and restaurants.

TYPICAL INTERSECTION

TYPICAL BUILDING

28thave

floor

floor

25thave

Holy Virgin Cathedral (Russian Orthodox)

Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine (Catholic)

existingslowstreet

20thave

Cathedral Orthodox)

17thave

The Alexandria Theater

parkpresidioblvd

GEARY BLVD

THE STREET

T02

The focus of Territory 02 is to enhance the existing character of the street which is currently be suffocated by car traffic and lack of density.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY

THE INTERSECTION

In Territory 02, every other intersection has a turning lane to accommodate car traffic. The southern side of the street is lined with trees to create a comfortable pedestrian experience on the south side of the street as well.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD NODE 03 PLAN

N03

Node 03 occurs at the 3-block interface created by the Public High School and Middle School in the neighborhood.

LOCATION ALONG GEARY

GEARY BLVD

N03

Node 03 is focused on the new plaza at the northern edge of the High School where a new community-focused building opens up the site to the neighborhood.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY

EXISTING CHARACTERISTICS

T03

LEGEND

Car Infrastructure (roads, parking lots, etc...)

Commercial Store fronts

Parks/Public Greenspace

Territory 03 is similar to Territory 02 in form, but not in program. The buildings along Geary along this stretch are almost entirely residential.

40thave

TYPICAL INTERSECTION

TYPICAL BUILDINGS

Middle School

GEARY BLVD THE STREET

T03

Territory 03 is focused on strategically injecting new program into the street. Because the surrounding fabric is exclusively residential, utilizing the center of the street gives the opportunity for live/work spaces or corner stores.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD

THE INTERSECTION

T03

Territory 03 becomes almost like two separate streets, one with cars, and one with the light rail. For fire safety, emergency vehicles can utilize the concrete strips of the light rail tracks.

EXISTING PROPOSED

Car Infrastructure (roads, parking lots, etc...)

Commercial Store fronts

Parks/Public Greenspace

Territory 04 is very different from the other territories. It feels almost suburban, with yard setbacks and detached single family homes.

TYPICAL INTERSECTION

TYPICAL BUILDING

San Francisco Firehouse #34

Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church

GEARY BLVD

THE STREET

T04

The central park strip grows significantly in Territory 04 and becomes increasingly more wild the closer it gets to Lands End and the Ocean.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD

THE INTERSECTION

T04

The road and light rail become a one way loop around the Geary/Point Lobos triangle in Territory 04 which allows for more greenspace within the street.

EXISTING PROPOSED

GEARY BLVD PLANTING STRATEGY

The coastal landscape bleeds into the street

ARRANGEMENTS

Moments of transition are marked by a density of planting

A balance of shade and sun is achieved in recreational spaces

Low Barrier

TREE SPECIES

Single

Row

Informal

Lophostemon

of way curb root barrier

pavers stone

varies

open soil volume

GEARY BLVD

LIGHTING

Lighting strategies along Geary exist at different scales to respond to different needs. All lights incorporate solar technology to save energy produced by the grid.

STREET

LIGHT RAIL PEDESTRIAN

GEARY BLVD

LIGHT RAIL

TRACKS AND STATIONS

The light rail tracks are embedded in concrete strips which allow low grasses to grow between the rails. The stations are located approximately every six blocks to allow for access with speed.

overhead power supply lines for light rail

emergency vehicle clearance

luminaire for track and platform illumination

topsoil layer concrete reinforcement at light rail tracks

power pole

luminaire for pedestrian area illumination

metal guardrail concrete slab

permeable pavers stone subase

TOMORROW

TOMORROW