Walk In The Park: An Evaluation of John F Kennedy Promenade

WALK IN THE PARK

AN EVALUATION OF JOHN F KENNEDY PROMENADE

Thomas Namara

UC Berkeley | Masters of City Planning, 2024

Author

Thomas Namara

Masters of City Planning graduate, 2024

Department of City and Regional Planning

UC Berkeley

Student Design Trainee, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

Client Report prepared for San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of City Planning in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley

Client Report Committee

Justin Hosbey

Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning

UC Berkeley

Zachary Lamb

Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning

UC Berkeley

Yael Golan

Deputy Director of Planning

San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

Taylor Emerson

Strategic Planning Manager

San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

Acknowledgments

This report would not have been possible without the support and guidance of Taylor Emerson from the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, with valuable feedback from SFRPD staf - Sarah Madland, Emily Stefuk, Brian Stokle, Phoenix Alfaro, Chris Townes, Yael Golan, Omar Davis, and Alex Schucknecht; thank you.

I would like to thank professors Zachary Lamb and Justin Hosbey for their support, and my classmates for their feedback and encouragement.

I would like to thank Kelli McGuinness from Sam Schwartz Engineering for sharing valuable insights on Central Park roads in New York City, and Molly Welton from California Kahve for sharing her experiences as a vendor on JFK Promenade.

I would like to thank Lily O’Brien for her valuable assistance in copy editing my report.

I would especially like to thank Lucas Tobin of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department who ofered the help of his Urban Recreation class at San Francisco State University. Students conducted observation studies, and their time commitment proved invaluable for the collection of data.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends who volunteered to conduct observation studies on the Promenade. This report relies heavily on their data collection, and each observation tells a unique story about activity on the Promenade. Many of them are San Francisco residents, and care deeply about John F. Kennedy Promenade. Thank you to those volunteers below:

Aidan Williams

Caroline Fyfe

Dan Brantley

Elia Rubio

Gennaro Covelli

Iam Bhiskitkul

Julia Brunner

Karah Fisher

Lucinda Segraves

Olivia Magee

Rachel Booth

Thais Arjo

Trishia Lim

San Francisco State University Students

Charlie Bemowski

Maria Camacho

Amanda Cangelosi

Karen H. Carino

Mack Crews

Gabriella Dalgaard

Monica Ferrey

Antoinette Francheschi-Becali

Anna-Rose Grans

Alondra Guadarrama

Declan King

Matthew Maduli

Gage Mettler

Estela Ontiveros

Samantha Petulla

Isaiah Ramos

Charlsie Santana De Valdez

Thelma Smith

*All photos, including the cover image, are taken by the author unless otherwise noted.

WALK IN THE PARK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Acronyms and Defnitions

Background

Origins of John F Kennedy Promenade Promenade

Golden Gate Park Master Plan

Central Park, New York City

Park System and Bike Map

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

Defning Study Area

Focus Areas

Accessibility

Safety Placemaking

METHODS

Public Life Study

Observation Zones

Survey Instruments

FINDINGS

Overview

Accessibility

Safety Placemaking

DISCUSSION

Key

Nancy Pelosi Drive & JFKP, April 2024

OVERVIEW

The COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place order reignited a conversation about how parks promote health and well-being. While people across the country stayed home to prevent the spread of the virus, planners and policymakers sought to expand parks and open space by restricting private vehicle access from streets and roads. The open space left vacant by cars allowed for more socially distant leisure, play, and exercise. In April 2020, city offcials in San Francisco restricted vehicle access on a portion of John F. Kennedy Drive (JFK), a road that runs through the city’s Golden Gate Park, to allow for socially distanced activity at the height of the pandemic.

Restricting private vehicle access on JFK brought attention to questions about access to public space, and to what purposes roads and streets serve. Over two years, government agencies, legislative bodies, and residents, engaged in a debate over the restriction of private vehicle access on JFK. Eventually, San Francisco residents voted to eliminate private vehicle access on JFK Drive permanently.

Two years have passed since that vote, and a new chapter in JFK’s history is being written. This next chapter focuses on JFK as a promenade (JFK Promenade). Once a busy road for cars, it is now an open space for people and has become another addition to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department’s (SFRPD) system of park and public spaces in San Francisco. The city has no shortage of parks and public spaces, from playgrounds, to meadows, to recreation centers and lakes. Residents and visitors alike have an abundance of choices when it comes to activities offered within each park. But even though it maintains its function as a road, the roadbed of JFK Promenade leaves something to be desired. Unlike other park spaces, JFK Promenade in its current form was never planned, designed, or built with the standards of a promenade in mind. JFK was intended as a road for vehicle movement, not an open space for people. So essentially, JFK is currently a road masquerading as a promenade.

Creating a better future for JFK Promenade demands a thorough look into how the space has transitioned from a road to a promenade. Now that there are no cars on the roadbed, what activities does JFK Promenade offer to park users? What experiences does it facilitate? What purpose does it have within the SFRPD network of existing parks and public spaces around San Francisco? Once those questions are answered, the next question becomes: How can improvements be made to the space that enhance the user experience without compromising the functionality and value of the space for other uses? And, how drastic do those improvements need to be?

This report will investigate these questions by presenting collected frsthand observation data and exploring the evolution of JFK in Golden Gate Park. The goal of the report is to evaluate how the space is being used, and to provide recommendations on how to manage JFK Promenade. The report is organized around three important considerations: accessibility, safety, and placemaking. The ultimate hope is that the fndings from this study will not only support the SFRPD’s future efforts to improve the space, but also spur a discussion about how to plan pedestrian roads to serve multiple needs and desires, even if it means straying away from traditional planning and design solutions.

JFK Drive, June 3, 2020

ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

Terms commonly referred to in this report are defned plainly below.

JFKP = John F. Kennedy Promenade/JFK Promenade

The portion of John F Kennedy Drive where private vehicles are restricted from Kezar Dr. to Transverse Dr in Golden Gate Park. The use of “JFKP” is only used in reference to events that happened after November 2022.

JFK = John F Kennedy Drive

The entire portion of John F Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park from Kezar Dr. to Great Highway. The use of JFK is used in reference to events that happened before November 2022, and I reference the portion of the road restricted to private vehicles as JFK from April 2020 to November 2022 as JFK.

GGP = Golden Gate Park

The park which JFK/JFKP is located within.

SFRPD = San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department

The City and County of San Francisco agency for which JFK/JFKP and GGP are owned, managed, and maintained by.

SFMTA = San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

The City and County of San Franciso agency which collaborates with SFRPD on issues related to transportation on JFKP.

SFBOS = San Francisco Board of Supervisors

The legislative body of the City and County of San Francisco which debated a private vehicle restriction on JFKP, but has no authority over how JFKP is managed from day to day.

Trafc Safety Incident

Near misses (close calls and pedestrian yields) on the Promenade study area between users.

Functional Area: (noun)

A space within Golden Gate Park or any other larger park that has a designated use to it and served a specifc type of purpose. This includes but is not limited to gardens, fountains, meadows, recreation centers, ballfelds, courts, lakes, and ponds.

Road: (noun)

An open way for vehicles, persons, and animals.

Path: (noun)

A trodden way OR a track specifcally constructed for a particular use.

Public Space: (noun)

Any space that is accessible to the general public. This includes functional areas, including roadways and pathways.

Open Space: (noun)

Any space that is open to the general public and serves multiple purposes, unlike a functional area. It can be either privately or publicly owned and maintained.

Promenade: (noun)

A place for walking or promenading; a paved public walk.

Promenade: (verb)

To take a leisurely walk (or a ride or drive), especially in a public space so as to meet or be seen by others.

BACKGROUND | ORIGIN OF JFKP

For nearly 50 years, private vehicle access was restricted on JFK from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive every Sunday. Advocates for the Sunday closure pushed for a permanent restriction, claiming it would provide valuable open space for people walking, running, and cycling. In 2020, advocates for the closure got their wish. A oncein-a-generation pandemic forced planners and policymakers to rethink how public space, and parks serve residents. What took place in the years following 2020 is important in understanding how JFK Promenade functions as a public space today.

JFK Promenade was not originally planned, designed, and built as a public space. It began with a public health emergency protocol. On March 17, 2020, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) instituted a stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In an unprecedented move, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, cafes, and other indoor places closed their doors until it was safe to allow guests indoors again. Restricting space indoors meant the need for more space outdoors where residents could access and socialize, if they kept a safe distance from others to prevent the spread of the virus.

On April 27, 2020, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that beginning at 6:30 the next morning, private vehicle access would be restricted on JFK from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive during the duration of the stay-at-home order. Mayor Breed said in a statement, “We know that people need to go outside, whether to get exercise or just clear their heads, and closing JFK to cars will make it easier for people who choose to leave their home to stay six feet apart from others.”1 General Manager of the SFRPD Phil Ginsburg said, “Now more than ever, San Franciscans are relying on our parks and urban trails to relieve stress and give a sense of familiarity during this unprecedented time.”2

Because the existing infrastructure adjacent to the road could not provide the amount of space needed, creating open space through vacant roads and streets in the park meant more space for social distancing. Providing people with space to walk, run, and clear their heads was fundamental for defning the policy and purpose of a car-free JFK. Creating space for San Francisco residents proved successful—more people used JFK than before the private vehicle restriction.3 But despite the increase in users, eliminating private vehicle access unleashed a whole series of debates over access and equity, traffc safety, and community gathering spaces.

JFK Drive Protected Bikeway Source: SFMTA, 2017

In January 2022, the SFRPD coordinated with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to install temporary signage on JFK saying, “San Franciscans have overwhelmingly said they appreciate the space for walking and rolling along JFK Drive—but also want to see more guidance on how to use the space.”3 The SFRPD and SFMTA staff collected over 10,000 responses from JFK Promenade users about their experiences on the car-free portion of JFK, providing the department with a clearer understanding of how it was being used.

The survey responses were helpful for city offcials who were debating the long-term future of the space. In April of 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (SFBOS) voted to approve legislation introduced by Mayor Breed to restrict private vehicles on JFK from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive permanently. In response to their vote, Mayor Breed said, “This will continue to be a place for families, for children, for seniors, and for visitors to gather and have a safe and wonderful experience in Golden Gate Park.”4 The mayor’s statement further defnes what kind of space JFK became with no cars. In two years, the car-free portion of the road on JFK became not just a place for social distancing, but a destination for community gatherings.

However, It did not take long for the legislation to face opposition. A group of San Francisco residents compiled enough signatures to put an ordinance on the November 2022 ballot which would overturn the legislation and allow private vehicle access on JFK once again. Titled “Access for All,” the ordinance in opposition to the private vehicle restriction stated, “The full and permanent closure of JFK Drive places a disproportionate burden on people with disabilities, seniors, families, and those who live far from the Park. It is time to return to earlier agreements to allow for all to equitably access and use the Park ... no streets should be reserved for the exclusive use of those who have the physical capacity to ride a bicycle or motorized

scooter, to those who have the physical capacity and convenience to walk, or to those who can afford a bicycle ...”5 This ordinance materialized as Proposition J on the ballot in San Francisco. A vote in favor of Proposition J would keep the legislation intact and restrict private vehicles permanently on JFK. In November of 2022, San Francisco voters approved Proposition J to keep a portion of JFK car-free and rejected the Access for All Ordinance. After two-and-a-half years of temporary closure, JFK Drive from Transverse Drive to Kezar Drive had now become JFK Promenade.

Golden Gate Park Access & Safety Program Poster Source: SFMTA, 2022

BACKGROUND | PROMENADE

JFK Promenade is one of San Francisco’s most exciting new open spaces and one of only three promenades in the SFRPD system.6 They manage over 4,000 acres of park space in San Francisco, with 220 different park spaces within the agency’s jurisdiction. JFK Promenade lies within Golden Gate Park, the SFPRD’s largest park space, covering over 1,000 acres. Opened in 1880, It is one of the world’s most popular urban parks, and it is the ffth most visited urban park in the United States.7 The park contains a plethora of gardens, meadows, lakes, forests, ballfelds, and other recreational sites. While Golden Gate Park is one of many other park properties in the SFRPD system, the variety of different spaces and activities within it, make it an attractive destination. There are over a dozen different spaces close to JFK Promenade that offer a range of different activities, from lounging on a meadow, to browsing art at a museum.

Located on the eastern side of Golden Gate Park, JFK Promenade is 1.43 miles in length and varies in width at various locations, its shortest being 43 feet, and its widest being 77 feet. Before it was a promenade, JFK functioned mainly as a road for more than a century—a connection between places within and beyond Golden Gate Park. Since 2020, the roadbed has not undergone any major capital renovations, except for a relatively small intervention. The SFRPD removed the pavement markings from the road in November of 2023.

There are approximately 15 miles of roadways that intersect the park, and twice as many miles of pedestrian pathways that connect the park as well. The roads and pathways within Golden Gate Park are managed entirely by the SFRPD, including the existing infrastructure around the roadbed of the promenade: benches, trashcans, signage, light posts, bike racks, etc.

Blue Heron Lake Drive

Transverse Drive

1. 14th Ave East Meadow

2. 6th Avenue Skate N’ Place

3. AIDS Memorial Grove

4. Arch of Colonial Trees

5. Bandshell

6. Blue Heron Lake

7. Blue Heron Lake Boathouse

8. Blue Playground

9. Bocce Ball Court

10. Botanical Garden

11. Bunny Meadow

12. California Academy of Sciences

13. Camelia Garden

14. Childrens Playground

15. Conservatory of Flowers

16. Conservatory Valley

17. Dahlia Dell

18. De Young Museum

19. Doughboy Meadow

20. Golden Gate Tennis Center

21. Heroes Grove

22. Hippy Hill

23. Japanese Tea Garden

24. John McLaren Rhododendron Dell

25. Little Rec Soccer Fields

26. Music Concourse

27. Oak Woodlands

28. Peacock Meadow

29. Pioneer East Meadow

30. Prayerbook Cross 31. Rose Garden

Sharon Meadow

Tree Fern Fell

Strawberry Hill

Sunken Meadow

WW1 Memorial

BACKGROUND | GOLDEN GATE PARK MASTER PLAN

Published in 1997 by SFRPD, the Golden Gate Park Master Plan is meant to guide future improvements made to the park. Because JFK Promenade was once a throughway for cars in Golden Gate Park, circulation is an important consideration for future improvements on JFK Promenade because of how users walk, run, cycle, and move along the space. These policies should be re-examined when making recommendations for any improvement to JFKP.

POLICY B - PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

Provide an accessible pedestrian circulation system that promotes safe and enjoyable pedestrian activities.

4. Trails and pathways that are designated as multiple use trails should be designed to minimize confict between pedestrians and other users. Policies and Objectives, 3-13

POLICY C - BICYCLE CIRCULATION

Provide for the safe and convenient use of the bicycle as a means of recreation and transportation to, within, and through Golden Gate Park. Provide continuity with the City bikeways plan.

1. A system of bikeways on roads and designated pathways that meets the needs of commuter and recreational bicyclists, and includes opportunities for bicyclists of all abilities, should be provided.

6. Roads which are removed from motor vehicle circulation should be considered for bicycle use Policies and Objectives, 3-14

POLICY F - REMOVAL OF PARK ROADWAYS

Roadways that are not required for access to park facilities, and are not part of the designated throughway system, should be removed and replaced with appropriate landscaping and recreational pathways.

1. Access requirements must refect public safety, park operations, internal transport, and address federal and state accessibility regulations.

2. Redesign intersections to remove excess pavement. Policies and Objectives, 3-14

“Golden Gate Park was created to be the perfect place for walking out of doors in an attractive setting .. Eforts should be made to encourage walking and to protect the high quality experience.”

Circulation, 5-16

“Bicycling is one of the primary ways that people enjoy the park. Cyclists are attracted to the park’s landscape, its curving roads and paths, and the opportunity to avoid the normal traffc of city streets. Bicyclists experience the park as it was designed—by traveling through it and experiencing the changing vistas afforded by the curving drives, forests, and meadows. The park serves as a primary transportation route for bicyclists in the western part of the city. Efforts should be made to encourage bicycling and to protect the high quality bicycling experience. Bicyclists should also be encouraged to respect other park users and obey regulations pertaining to bicycling.”

Circulation, 5-17

Rose Garden, January 2024

BACKGROUND | CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK

JFK Promenade is not the only urban park road where private vehicles are completely restricted. In 2018, then New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that cars would be restricted on a sixmile loop within Central Park for the exclusive use of pedestrians and cyclists: “Our Parks are for people, not cars...We are prioritizing the safety and health of millions of parents, children and visitors who fock to Central Park.”8 Located on the island of Manhattan in New York City, Central Park opened in 1853 and welcomes 42 million visitors each year. It is slightly smaller than Golden Gate Park at 843 acres.

Unfortunately for planners in New York City, the 6 miles of road in Central Park have a troubled history of cyclist and pedestrian collisions. Elizabeth Smith, the President of the Central Park Conservancy describes the car-free roads as “chaos”, but acknowledges the complexities of planning around how park goers use the roads for different reasons - running, cycling, walking, etc.9

Because the roads in Central Park have largely remained the same since 2018, Smith says that the current condition of the roads “impinge on the reason people come to Central Park, which is to get away from the city. The city is creeping into the park through the drives... a place where people could get away from the city and commune with nature and have a respite from urban life.”10 The history of collissions and high user volumes on the road in Central Park prompted a study to see how the road could be improved to mitigate pedestrian and cyclist traffc safety incidents.

In March of 2023, the Central Park Conservancy, the NYC Parks Department of Parks and Recreation, and NYC Department of Transportation announced a multi-year study to investigate how the roads were being used in Central Park. The study includes data on road user behavior, including pedestrian and cyclist counts, an analysis of topography, collision data, and a community engagement process.

Golden Gate Park

Year Opened: 1880

Acres: 1017

Annual Visitors: 20 Million

JFK Promenade: 1.43 Miles

Widest Road Width: 80 ft.

Central Park

Year Opened: 1858

Acres: 842

Annual Visitors: 42 Million

Central Park Loop: 6.02 miles

Widest Road Width: 37 ft.

Figure 1.1

BACKGROUND | PARK & BIKE NETWORK

SFRPD Properties

Data Source: SFRPD | C reated by thomas.namara on 4/16/2024 | C:\User s\thomas.namara\OneDrive - CCSF\Desktop\GIS\CityWideParkSystemMap.aprx

Non-SFRPD Properties

Lakes/Bodies of Water

John F. Kennedy Promenade

SFMTA Bike Network

SFMTA Slow Streets

Pedestrian/Cyclist Roads in GGP

JFK Promenade is part of a network of other roads and streets in San Francisco where private vehicles are either completely restricted or share the road with pedestrians and cyclists in San Francisco. JFK Promenade is an integral part of SFMTA’s Bike Network, which encompasses over 464 miles of bike lanes across San Francisco.11 Also launched in 2020, SFMTA Slow Streets have been an important network of streets where private vehicle access is limited. Despite the bike network and Slow Streets, there are fewer streets in San Francisco where cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy the road without private vehicles interrupting their experience.

“Light Up The Night” event, Janaury 2022

FRAMEWORK

Nancy Pelosi Drive & JFKP, February 2024

FRAMEWORK | STUDY AREA

While many consider JFK Promenade a collection of different spaces along the pavement, I limit my observations in this report to the roadbed of JFK Promenade. I did not observe activity on the sidewalk or adjacent green spaces because these spaces were not directly impacted by the private vehicle restriction in 2020. I am primarily concerned with how pedestrians and cyclists use the roadbed that was previously used by cars.

The increased space vacated by private vehicles on the roadbed of JFK Promenade offers additional space for the SFRPD to explore adding amenities for JFK Promenade users. Because the roadbed served private vehicles for so long, there are no features on the surface that contain pedestrian amenities like seating or lighting. However, there are adjacent assets on the curbside and adjacent sidewalks that could serve pedestrians and cyclists.

Existing Promenade Assets within 40 ft of the roadbed

*Does not include August 2022 installations

23 Benches

• 13 benches east of 8th Ave

• 10 benches west of 8th Ave

1 Bicycle Rack

• De Young Museum

1 Drinking Fountain

• Skate N’ Place

13 Light Posts

• 11 light posts east of 8th Ave

1 Map Sign

• Conservatory Drive East

4 Way-fnding Signs

• All signs west of 8th Ave

17 Trash Cans

• 10 trash cans west of 8th Ave

• 7 trash cans east of 8th Ave

1 Table

• Sunken Meadow

JFK PPROMENADE ROADBED

FRAMEWORK | FOCUS ELEMENTS

To determine what unique experience JFK Promenade is creating for park goers, this study is broken into three important elements: accessibility, safety, and placemaking. Combined, each focus area allows us to better understand how JFK Promenade functions as a public space. Each element interacts with the other, and there are oftentimes overlapping issues within each focus area.

Accessibility

The frst step towards creating a better experience for JFK Promenade users starts with analyzing who is using it, when, where, and how. While the SFRPD is currently collecting user counts on two different locations on JFK Promenade, this report includes more detailed user information such as mode, age, and direction, at different times of the day and different days of the week.

ACCESSIBILITY

Who uses the Promenade and for what purpose?

Safety

Concerns over user volume and differing transportation modes present a traffc safety concern on JFK Promenade. Outside of the existing stop signs and crosswalks, there are no signs regulating how its users share the asphalt. Understanding how many traffc incidents occur and where is an important step towards creating a safe experience for JFK Promenade users. This report will examine where traffc safety incidents occur on it, and how it matches user perception of safety.

Placemaking

The most signifcant changes to JFK Promenade are occurring through the painting of murals, the construction of gathering spaces, and the placement of sculptures on the roadbed. These temporary, low budget placemaking interventions on JFK Promenade make the space unique. This report will analyze where its users are interacting with different types of installations, and how. While not every installation is examined, specifc installation types will provide a sense of which elements have the greatest impact.

SAFETY

Do difering user preferences create safety issues?

PLACEMAKING

How are the installations impacting user experience?

ACCESSIBILITY

PEOPLE, NOT PRIVATE VEHICLES

Promenades are walkways open to anyone and everyone, where people can move at their leisure amongst others.12 Promenades are unlike plazas, town squares, or other geometric park spaces. They are typically linear, so they encourage users to move along them rather than being stationary. Walking, running, and other kinds of exercising are common activities on promenades. Promenades also provide the user with an uninterrupted experience, whereas on a street, road, or city sidewalk, their experience might be interrupted by vehicles.

Promenades can serve many different purposes for different users. Elizabeth Macdonald, urban planning scholar, landscape architect, and expert on promenades explains in one her book “Urban Waterfront Promenades”, “Some people may use them for getting from one place to another, but most people use them for simply moving back and forth. For the most part, they are destinations rather than the functional means to get to some other destination. People value them for the experience of being on them while amongst others, rather than for the ability to move along them quickly, and so their nature is slow-paced.”13 A stroll is at the core of what promenades facilitate, but they can also be dynamic spaces as well. According to an SFRPD report, almost 7 million walking, rolling, biking, and strolling trips were made on car-free JFK Promenade from April 2020 to September 2021, a 36% daily increase in park trips compared to preCOVID.14 It is critical for the SFRPD to examine the multiple ways JFK Promenade can be used, especially considering how walking, running, and cycling have increased in Golden Gate Park since 2020.

Popularity in outdoor recreation has dramatically increased across the country since the start of the pandemic. The spring of 2020 saw a large increase in the total number of people participating in outdoor activities. According to a 2021 report by the Outdoor Foundation, 7 million more people

participated in an outdoor activity in 2020 than in 2019, the single largest increase in a year since the Outdoor Foundation started reporting.15 The most popular activity surveyed by the Outdoor Foundation was running, followed by hiking.16 When considering race and ethnicity, running was the most popular activity amongst most racial groups surveyed.17 There are few places in San Francisco for uninterrupted routes, especially close to the center of the city. As a wide linear, JFK Promenade is a valuable space for people walking, running, and exercising.

In addition to more people walking and running, cycling as a form of recreation increased. Cycling is shown to have multiple benefts, including improving health outcomes, and reducing carbon emissions. The National Institutes of Health concludes, “Sustainable, safe mobility and a better quality of life can be created with relatively simple means; people just need to be enabled to gain new experiences in order to break with habitual behavior.”18 Therefore, restricting access by private vehicles on JFK may have potentially altered how San Franciscans move around.

The increase in people walking, running, cycling, and exercising underscores the need for open space. A 2022 report from the National Institutes of Health suggests that creating access to open space could occur through “redistribution of street spaces, especially parking spaces, towards improved walkable, bike-able, and usable green streetscapes.”19 The report also recommends that urban planners consider improving underutilized land to create open space, and consider improving street design with quality greenery.20 With regards to equity, the report suggests locating these spaces is crucial for ensuring “a fair distribution of health benefts for the urban population” and “an equal opportunity to enjoy health and well-being in nature and green settings.”21 Promenades can serve as critical open spaces necessary for expanding the well-being of park users.

While the increase in walking, running, exercising, and rolling on JFK Promenade is a beneft for many, restricting other people’s ability to drive down the roadbed raised questions about what purpose the roadbed serves for people enjoying the park.

A San Francisco legislator wrote, “The more we reduce our dependence on cars and prioritize safe pedestrian, bike, and mass transit friendly spaces, the better and healthier our city will be … People of all ages and abilities walking, biking, and enjoying the open space, that’s what our park should be about.”22 A stakeholder opposing the restriction of private vehicles wrote, “We don’t have to shut down roads that are vital to our communities to have open space.”23 Another stakeholder wrote, “The closure of JFK Drive takes away a critical aspect of people’s health and well-being: being outdoors.”24 These comments illuminate how JFK Promenade is a contested space, and has different purposes and meanings for different groups. The range of opinions is important to consider as the SFRPD continues to attract parkgoers to it.

SAFETY A ROAD WITHOUT LANES, SIGNS, AND SIGNALS

In November 2023, the SFRPD began removing the pavement markings that had guided cars along the roadbed for decades. Without cars, these traffc lanes were no longer practical for pedestrians and cyclists who now occupied the space. Parking spaces, bike lanes, and even some portions of the roadbed centerline were removed. Currently, pedestrians, cyclists, and micro-mobility users are free to use any portion of the road they would like at any speed they prefer. While there are stop signs, crosswalks, and signage, to prevent private vehicles from entering JFK Promenade, new signs have not been installed to guide or enforce pedestrian and cyclist movement on it.

While removing old traffc lines is an important step towards creating a more pedestrianfriendly atmosphere for users, it does warrant an assessment of what kinds of design interventions create safe traffc environments for users. There are multiple interventions to consider for traffc safety.

The width of the road is an important safety consideration. A study conducted on Golden

Gate Promenade in Crissy Field found that a single, shared path works well for different types of users when it is not too crowded. On a single path, preventing traffc incidents comes down to awareness of the user. Most people will follow the “unwritten rules of the road,” to stay to the right in the direction you’re going in. Golden Gate Promenade is unpaved, and this surface encourages cyclists to slow down.25 However, Golden Gate Promenade is much narrower than JFK Promenade. A similar study conducted at Embarcadero Promenade found that a single, shared path that is much narrower can get twice as crowded.26 As a result, safety concerns at Embarcadero Promenade are much higher than at Golden Gate Promenade. In general, it is recommended that modes are split by lane because it makes a promenade feel safer to users. It remains unclear, however, by what distance the modes should be separated.

Sharing the road can be an easy alternative to splitting modes, but it does have safety implications. A study done observing pedestrian and cyclist interaction on a shared path suggested that distracted cyclists moving too fast, pedestrians not looking over their shoulders, and being at the wrong place at the wrong time could increase safety issues.27 The study concluded that a centerline could decrease the likelihood of safety incidents. In addition to a centerline or lane markings, open sight lines allow users to see other people around them and be seen by others.

There are existing safety concerns on JFK Promenade with its current layout. When the SFRPD surveyed promenade users about safety, members of the public mentioned that cyclists, runners, and people walking at the same time and place created a safety concern. Since private vehicles were restricted from JFK in 2020, there have been two reported collisions between bicycles and pedestrians on JFK Promenade.28 Despite only two collisions, users have mentioned how fast cyclists and micro-mobility users travel, and how it makes them feel unsafe. In a Q&A session in January 2023 held by the SFRPD and SFMTA, a member of the public asked about “bike and scooter riders who are going very fast (especially e-bikes and e-scooters), and not stopping at stop

signs or occupied crosswalks.”29 Another comment from the public mentioned that cyclists and other faster users on the promenade make other slowermoving users feel uncomfortable and less safe. Some people who walk on JFK Promenade and other car-free streets in Golden Gate Park felt that faster users, especially cyclists or motorized scooter users, made them feel uncomfortable, as no space is designated on the road for any specifc type of mode.30 Before 2020, people walking used the sidewalk while cyclists were in protected bike facilities or in mixed traffc. In this report, I aim to study how traffc safety incidents occur on a single shared path on the roadbed of JFK Promenade.

PLACEMAKING

URBAN OASIS, NOT A ROAD

While there is no explicit defnition of placemaking, the term refers to a strategy used by planners, policymakers, and public space advocates to improve the quality of public space. There are many ways to improve public spaces, but placemaking focuses on attracting people to public spaces through various activities that foster community interaction. Placemaking can occur in many different forms, but it primarily involves the everyday activities of people. The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) defnes placemaking as, “Creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that defne a place and support its ongoing evolution.”31 In a survey conducted by the PPS, respondents defned placemaking as “creating for everybody,” “feeling like you belong here,” “making places that have meaning to people, enduring patterns of community use, and memorable physical qualities,” and “the art and science of developing public spaces that attract people, build community by bringing people together, and create local identity.”32 Overall, building community is a central part of placemaking.

Placemaking can be used for social, cultural, economic, or environmental reasons. It can also be used to exclude people from public spaces,

not through policies or guidelines, but through activities provided. Ideally, placemaking should bring people together. “The Routledge Handbook of Placemaking” states that placemaking outcomes should lead to people having their “love of place confrmed, renewed, valued; their place attachment activates as place stewardship; which leads to increased social cohesion and well-being; which in turn results in the genuine formation of the vibrant, livable places that administrations, planners, and developers are working to variously create or secure.”33 Placemaking should be humancentered, and cultivate a sense of belonging. It is less about improving physical design features, and more about cultivating a sense of community around a place via the activities nurtured within that space.

The SFPRD engages in placemaking efforts at many of its park properties through cultural events, volunteer opportunities, and much more. It has made signifcant investments at two separate park properties—UN Plaza and India Basin Shoreline Park. Both park projects focus on attracting park users through various activities.

UN Plaza is located near San Francisco’s City Hall, and lies adjacent to the city’s main arterial thoroughfare, Market Street. The plaza is surrounded by a museum, an offce building, a theatre, and a café. Multiple transit stops also serve the plaza. Unfortunately, due to illegal activity at UN Plaza, visitors were scared away from the space. To address the problem, the SFRPD partnered with local stakeholders to focus on placemaking efforts there. They not only renovated the plaza, but added skateboarding elements, ping pong tables, chess tables, teqball, and an outdoor ftness studio. While it is unclear whether the activations are having a direct impact on reducing illegal activity, the renovation is drawing in new users and fostering community amongst local stakeholders.34 Skaters have taken over the plaza, and local business owners are welcoming their presence as a sign of safer, more positive activity there. Turning UN Plaza around involves understanding what activities will spur community interaction within the specifc type of place it is.

India Basin Shoreline Park is in Bayview-Hunters Point, a historically marginalized neighborhood still suffering from decades of discriminatory policies. As one of the SFPRD’s largest renovation projects, it is partnering with local stakeholders to renovate and add park space at India Basin Shoreline Park. The project is guided by the Equitable Development Plan (EDP), a community-driven framework that ensures the park will beneft residents in BayviewHunters Point in multiple ways. As part of the project, the SFPRD is focusing on placemaking to invite residents into the park space to learn more about the project. More importantly, the activities offered at the park provide residents with a sense of belonging and of hope for a better future in Bayview-Hunters Point.35 It will take a much larger capital improvement project at India Basin Shoreline Park to remedy decades of injustice, but placemaking is a crucial step toward achieving these larger goals. This placemaking effort at India Basin Shoreline Park fosters a deeper connection to the space and in turn, nurtures an appreciation for the community.

Placemaking on JFK Promenade involves understanding what kind of space it is. Unlike a plaza or another park space, the linearity lends itself to certain types of activities. A key concept that is important to consider for placemaking on the promenade is active vs. passive engagement. Passive engagement refers to “the central way most people experience urban promenades where users may enjoy them without having to be actively involved.”36 Passive engagement can be people-watching or spectating other activities on JFK Promenade. Active engagement refers to the need to be involved with a particular place, and experience the place with other people through an activity. While there are installations and activations on JFK Promenade, passive engagement is more likely than active engagement because users will already be moving along it.

Another key consideration for placemaking on JFK promenade involves use of the adjacent land. The surrounding areas can change how people engage with the activities on JFK Promenade, as well as affect their feelings while strolling on it. Research has shown that promenades closer to green spaces

might have health benefts, as people fnd open views and greenery restorative and “conducive to an unbending of the faculties and providing relief from the stresses of urban life.”37 In the case of JFK Promenade, we should expect Golden Gate Park spaces to provide a sense of calm and relief to users. Other land uses, like commercial space, can affect user experiences on JFK Promenade in different ways. If a promenade lies adjacent to commercial space instead of greenery, it might promote consumption and more lively activity as opposed to calm and relief. Another important variable that stems from adjacent land uses might be noise. Together, the external variables can infuence how users experience JFK Promenade.

Beginning in August of 2022, the SFRPD engaged in a placemaking endeavor on JFK Promenade by placing seating, sculptures, planter boxes, murals, and other installations on and adjacent to its roadbed. They were supported by a collection of artists whose goal is to “reveal the promise of this former road turned urban oasis,” through their artistic and interactive installations.38 One artist said, “This is an exercise in nimble and creative thinking: a place for people frst where we remove all striping and stop signs, and make it feel like less of a road and more of a place for people.”39 Not only are the activations meant to bring people together, but they offer something users would not normally fnd in the middle of a long stretch of asphalt—a chair, a mural, or a sculpture. Because the sculptures, murals, and activations are only temporary, there is a desire to refresh the installations and replace existing installations to continue community interaction on JFK Promenade.

METHODS

METHODS | PUBLIC LIFE STUDY

A public life study is a research method developed by scholars and city planners to better understand public life. The Washington D.C. Offce of Planning describes public life as, “the everyday activities that people naturally take part in when they spend time with each other outside their homes, workplaces, and cars.”40 A public life study analyzes the “observed human behavior in shared spaces to inform policy, regulations, and public space design.”41 JFK Promenade is a shared space, and illuminating user patterns and public life on it is paramount before making recommendations on how and where it can be improved.

Public life studies are used to evaluate a variety of different public spaces. Typical public life studies include a variety of passive and invasive observation tools to collect data. Developed and popularized by Gehl Institute, those tools include observation analysis of pedestrians’ and cyclists’ movement through space, activities of individuals or groups who are stationary in a public space, surveys and interviews of users, and infrastructure assessments within or adjacent to that space. They can be implemented at certain times of day, different days of the week, and different locations within a public space. Public life studies are common practice for planners, designers, and policymakers. In San Francisco, many public life studies have been conducted on well-known spaces, including Mission Street, Market Street, Columbus Avenue, and Valencia Street.

A public life study allows the SFRPD to see how parkgoers are using JFK Promenade. In their Public Life Study Standards Manual, the San Francisco Planning Department states, “The fndings of these surveys and observations inform strategies to change the public realm, as well as help [planners] understand the impacts of changes.”42 Having quantifable will allows the SFRPD staff to plan JFK Promenade without relying on biased information.

To better understand how JFK Promenade is used, I launched a public life study beginning in late December 2023 that included a survey of six different locations on it. The six observation zones were:

• Conservatory Drive East & JFK Promenade

• Nancy Pelosi Drive & JFK Promenade

• Conservatory Drive West & JFK Promenade

• 8th Avenue & JFK Promenade

• Blue Heron Lake Drive & JFK Promenade

• Transverse Drive & JFK Promenade

These six observation zones were chosen based on their physical characteristics, their location along JFK Promenade, their proximity to adjacent functional areas, and the presence of an interactive installation. Each observation zone has different physical qualities. Some observation zones have installations, while others do not. Some observation zones are larger, while other zones are narrower. Nevertheless, each observation zone provides a different perspective on JFK Promenade.

PEDESTRIAN

AND CYCLIST SCREENLINE COUNT

A pedestrian and cyclist observation analysis is a central piece of a public life study, and an important tool for this study on JFK Promenade. While the SFRPD currently collects the number of users on JFK Promenade at all times of the day and days of the week, the screen line count in this study includes detailed user information such as mode, age, and direction. Not only does this tool illuminate the current population of users on JFK Promenade, but it also allows the SFRPD to understand traffc safety instances and placemaking interactions as well.

The pedestrian and cyclist screen line count is the largest of the three data collections used in this study. The pedestrian and cyclist screen line counting sheet and instructions were adapted from the San Francisco Planning Department’s Public Life Study Standards Manual and revised for an analysis on JFK Promenade with feedback from SFRPD planners. Observations were done by me and volunteers for 20 minutes each time. Four observations were conducted in the morning (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.), the afternoon (12 p.m. to 2 p.m.), and evening (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) at each of the six observation zones on weekdays and weekends, for a total of 24 observations at each site. In total, 144 observations were made for the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count between December 2023 and March 2024.

INSTALLATION ACTIVITY MAPPING

With over 20 different installations on JFK Promenade, the installation activity mapping provides in-depth data on how interactions are taking place at four separate installations. Because JFK Promenade is linear, stationary activity is unlikely to occur. However, the interactions that occur at the installations provide insight into how

users on JFK Promenade are engaging with them. Installation activity mapping occurred at four of the six observation zones where installations were present:

• Elder Mother Tree

• Eat, Travel, Play, Care

• Living Rooms

• Resonance West

These four installations were chosen for the activity mapping study based on their artistic differences, size, and amenities provided to JFK Promenade users. Observations were conducted after most of the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count data was complete, in February and March of 2024, from noon to 2:00 p.m. on weekends, which is the busiest time on JFK Promenade.

INTERVIEWS

While the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count and installation activity mapping are important quantitative observation tools, interviews with users are also necessary to gain further insight into how promenade users experience the space. Depending on what mode they’re using, what age they are, and what direction they’re going, promenade users will experience the space in different ways. Along with the pedestrian and cyclist screen line counts and stationary activity mapping data, the responses from the interviews allow us to see if users feel strongly about a specifc focus area, such as placemaking or safety.

While questions were developed for the interviews, many of them took the form of loose conversations with users in April 2024. The interview questions were categorized by focus area: safety, accessibility, and placemaking. The goal was to interview users who represented larger user groups on JFK Promenade. In total, eight interviews were conducted at various locations along JFK Promenade.

METHODS | OBSERVATION ZONES

= John F. Kennedy Promenade

TRANSVERSE DR. & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 7,148 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 42 Ft.

INSTALLATION: Tune In

TYPE: Interactive Sculpture

SIZE: 58 Sqft

HEIGHT: 15 Ft.

BH

BLUE HERON DR. & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 4,325 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 60 Ft.

INSTALLATION: Resonance West

TYPE: Gathering Space/Activation

SIZE: 632 Sqft

HEIGHT: N/A

BH

8th

8TH AVE & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 6,000 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 77 Ft.

INSTALLATION: Living Rooms

TYPE: Gathering Space

SIZE: 3,712 Sqft

HEIGHT: N/A

CONSERVATORY DR. WEST & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 6,240 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 50 Ft.

INSTALLATION: Eat, Travel, Play, Care

TYPE: Sculpture

SIZE: 24 Sqft

HEIGHT: 6”6 Ft.

8th CW

NANCY PELOSI DR. & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 4,000 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 55 Ft.

INSTALLATION: N/A

TYPE: N/A

SIZE: N/A

HEIGHT: N/A

CONSERVATORY DR. EAST & JFKP

ZONE AREA: 3,439 Sqft.

WIDTH OF PROMENADE: 55 Ft.

INSTALLATION: Elder Mother Tree

TYPE: Interactive Sculpture, Gathering Space

SIZE: 2,207 Sqft.

HEIGHT: 20 ft.

BICYCLE

JFK PROMENADE INSTALLATION ACTIVITY MAPPING

EAT, TRAVEL, PLAY, CARE TUNE IN WHALE TAIL LOVE BLOCKS

LIVING ROOMS “NO DANCING” RENOSANCE WEST/PIANO ELDER MOTHER

SITTINGIMPROVISED SITTINGPUBLICMOBILE SITTINGPUBLICFIXED DAY(S) OF THE WEEK TIME FRAME

MORNING: 7:00AM - 9:00AM

MIDDAY: 12:00PM - 2:00PM EVENING: 4:00PM - 6:00PM TIME

Perhaps people who are slower or have grey hair.

Toddlers, kids, and teenagers. Kids riding in the backseat of an adult’s bike count. Everyone who is not classi ed as Youth or Senior.

Instances where collissions are narrowly avoided between cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists and other cyclists, cyclists and micromobility users, micromobility users and pedestrians, and micromobility users and other micromobility users on the Promenade.

Crashes between cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists and other cyclists, cyclists and micromobility users, micromobility users and pedestrians, and micromobility users and other micromobility users that happen on the Promenade.

If necessary this is for users or instances that do not t other categories. Categories include but are not limited to delivery vehicles, or users who turned around at a location. The GGP Shuttle does not count.

Visit www.https://goldenmileproject.org/ to learn about the installations

Interactions include but are not limited to: taking a picture or resting/stretching on the installation.

Pedestrians who yield to cyclists or micromobility users on the Promenade. Pedestrians, cyclists, or micromobility users who stop and interact with the installations on the Promenade. Installation Interactions that are not on the Promenade should not be counted. Please see notes on each location map to know which installation to count for.

Two categories can be selected. For example, it could be cloudy and rainy, or foggy and clody. Any other weather conditions, such as wind or temperature, can be noted. Special occassions are events happening on the Promenade. These events might in uence user behavior on the Promenade, such as a cycling event, a footrace, a protest/political gathering, or a celebration. Installations on the Promenade, such as the Elder Mother or Entwined, are not considered special occassions.

The eastern point of the Promenade largely regarded as the entrance to the Promenade. The biggest attraction on this location is the Elder Mother tree. If there are stationary Promenade users interacting with the Tree when you start, scan the counting area and count the number of users, and then add them as installation interactions. Then, determine their age, and add categorize them as pedestrians or cyclists once they leave. If they stay during the entire 20 minutes, split the counting area down the middle and categorize them as east or west.

NOTE: people who go go parallel to the Promenade from sidewalk to sidewalk should not be counted. People who go from the sidewalk to the Promenade should be counted. See location maps for details.

Pedestrians who cross the Promenade from one side to another. This means they are crossing the Promenade on to the sidewalk. Do not count people walking on the sidewalk.

There are 5 weather conditionssunny, partly cloudy, rainy, and foggy.

Once pedestrians, cyclists, and micromobility users enter the Promenade from Nancy Pelosi Drive, they should be counted along with Promenade users going eastbound or westbound. The Wooden Toy Blocks do not count as installation interactions.

Skateboarders, scooters, Onewheel, rollerblades, hoverboards, and segways any other mode on wheels that is not a bicycle.

Please see the location sheet to see directions for counting at each site.

See location map for details on direction. The nearest installations are the Chocolate Statues in the center of the Promenade.

People riding bikestwo wheels. This includes tricycles.

Pedestrians running or jogging on the Promenade. It does not matter how fast or slow people or running or jogging.

Counting does not have to start on the hour. Counting can start at any time within the time frame, except for 20 minutes before the last hour. There are 5 counting locations along the Promenade. From east to west, they are Conservatory Drive East, Nancy Pelosi Drive, 8th Avenue Stow Lake Drive, and Transverse Drive.

Once pedestrians, cyclists, and micromobility users enter the Promenade from Blue Heron Lake Drive, they should be counted along with Promenade users going eastbound or westbound. The nearest installations are on the Renosance West/Piano in the intersection. Music Concourse Drive, 8th Avenue, and Fulton Ave. in uence behavior at this location. The nearest installations are Living Rooms on either side. The No Dancing sign is too far to be counted as an installation interaction.

Pedestrians walking on the Promenade.

Surveyors must count for 20 minutes . No more, no less . Do not count after twenty minutes to the last hour. For example, a Midday time frame must start before or at exactly1:40pm to be considered valid data.

Please see note on Map about users who turn around .

There are three time framesMorning from 7:00am9:00am, Midday from 12:00pm2:00pm, and Evening from 4:00pm6:00pm.

As users enter the Promenade and move east, they should be considered traveling eastbound. As users exit the Promenade, they should be considered traveling westbound. It does not matter which direction they go once they are o the Promenade. The nearest installations are underneath Crossover Drive

JFK PROMENADE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SCREENLINE INSTRUCTIONS

Promenade users will come to the EMT and staySee directions on the instructions sheet on how to count.

For Promenade users who stop to interact the Elder Mother Tree, note their user category and direction they’re coming from.

Pedestrians crossing the Promenade from curb to curb should be counted as Crossing Promenade.

Promenade users traveling west and leaving the Promenade on Conservatory East Drive should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Conservatory East Drive and going west should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users traveling east and leaving the Promenade on Conservatory East Drive should be counted as Eastbound

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Conservatory East Drive and going east should be counted as Eastbound.

Notes

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter thsese boundaries to count. Peds. crossing the Promenade outside these boundaries count.

Pedestrians crossing the Promenade from curb to curb should be counted as Crossing Promenade.

Promenade users traveling west and leaving the Promenade on Nancy Pelosi Drive should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Nancy Pelosi Drive and going west should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users traveling east and exiting the Promenade on Nancy Pelosi Drive should be counted as Eastbound

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Nancy Pelosi Drive and going east should be counted as Eastbound.

Notes

crossing the Promenade outside these boundaries count.

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter thsese boundaries to count.

For Promenade users who stop to interact with Chocolate Statues, note their user category and direction they’re coming from.

People crossing the Promenade from curb to curb should be counted as Crossing Promenade.

Promenade users traveling west and leaving the Promenade on Conservatory Drive West should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Conservatory Drive West and going west should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users traveling east and leaving the Promenade on Conservatory Drive West should be counted as Eastbound

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Conservatory Drive West and going east should be counted as Eastbound.

Notes

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter thsese boundaries to count. Peds crossing the Promenade outside these boundaries count.

the Promenade

For Promenade users who stop to interact with the Living Rooms, note their user category and direction they’re coming from.

People crossing the Promenade from curb to curb should be counted as Crossing Promenade.

Promenade users traveling west and leaving the Promenade on 8th Avenue should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from 8th Avenue and going west should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users coming traveling east and leaving the Promenade on 8th Avenue should be counted as Eastbound

Promenade users entering the Promenade from 8th Avenue and going east should be counted as Eastbound.

Notes

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter thsese boundaries to count. Users interacting with the living rooms outside the boundaries count. Peds crossing the Promenade outside these boundaries count.

For Promenade users who stop to interact Renosance West, note their user category and direction they’re coming from.

People crossing the Promenade from curb to curb should be counted as Crossing Promenade.

Promenade users traveling west and leaving the Promenade on Blue Heron Lake Drive should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Blue Heron Lake Drive and going west should be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users traveling east and leaving the Promenade on Blue Heron Lake Drive should be counted as Eastbound

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Blue Heron Lake Drive and going east should be counted as Eastbound.

Notes

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter thsese boundaries to count. Peds crossing the Promenade outside these boundaries count.

They should also be counted as westbound.

Pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, and micromobility users who turn around at the boundary line or at any point before the boundary line should be noted in the “other*” category and tallied as having turned around.

Promenade users exiting the Promenade on to Transverse Drive Sshould be counted as Westbound.

Promenade users entering the Promenade from Transverse Drive should be counted as Eastbound

Notes

Surveyors should stand at one of these boundary points. Promenade users must enter boundaries to count. Users interacting with the installations outside the Boundaries count. Peds crossing the Promenade before the boundary count.

PromenadetheNot DriveTranverse

Westbound Eastbound Not the Promenade Not

the Promenade

Turned Around JFK Promenade Crossing Promenade

Tune In Installation (underneath overpass)

Drive West & JFKP, February 2024

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Information for Interviewees:

• Interview will be recorded

• Anonymous – no name, no age, do photos

• Answers will be refected in a report

• Identifed as adult/senior/youth and mode

• “You can answer these questions with as little or as much as you would like, but I do want to make sure all questions can be answered.”

CYCLISTS

Accessibility

• What is the purpose of your trip?

• What types of trips do you usually make as a cyclist on the Promenade? Work? Recreation?

• Is there a route you normally take on the Promenade? Do you bike the whole length of the Promenade? Where do you enter?

Safety

• Are you concerned about collisions with other Promenade users like walkers or joggers?

• Does speed affect your perception of safety as a cyclist?

• How does the presence of installations on the Promenade impact your experience as a cyclist?

Placemaking

• How do the installations on the Promenade affect to your experience?

• Are there particular installations that have a more signifcant effect than others?

• Do the installations encourage you to stop and interact and or slow down?

WALKERS

Accessibility

• What is the reason you are walking on the Promenade?

• Do you walk on the sidewalk or the Promenade? What is your reason?

• Are you walking as a mode of travel? That is, do you walk for work/errands or for recreation?

• When times of the day/days of the week do you walk on the Promenade and why?

Safety

• Are you concerned about collisions with other Promenade users like cyclists or micro mobility users?

• Does the speed of cyclists and micro mobility users affect your perception of safety?

• How does the presence of cyclists or micro mobility users on the Promenade impact your experience as a pedestrian?

Placemaking

• How do the installations on the Promenade affect to your experience?

• Are there particular installations that have a more signifcant effect than others?

• Do the installations encourage you to stop and interact?

RUNNERS

Accessibility

• What is your experience running/exercising on the Promenade versus other places to run?

• Do you run/exercise on the sidewalk or on the Promenade? What is your reason?

• When times of the day/days of the week do you run/exercise on the Promenade and why?

Safety

• Are you concerned about collisions with other Promenade users like cyclists or micro mobility users?

• Does the speed of cyclists and micro mobility users affect your perception of safety?

• How does the presence of cyclists or micro mobility users on the Promenade impact your experience as a pedestrian?

Placemaking

• How do the installations on the Promenade affect to your experience?

• Are there particular installations that have a more signifcant effect than others?

• Do the installations encourage you to stop and interact?

MICROMOBILITY USERS

Accessibility

• What is the purpose of your trip?

• What types of trips do you usually make on the Promenade? Work? Recreation?

• Is there a route you normally take on the Promenade? Do you bike the whole length of the Promenade? Where do you enter?

Safety

• Are you concerned about collisions with other Promenade users like walkers or joggers?

• Does speed affect your perception of safety?

• How does the presence of pedestrians on the Promenade impact your experience as a micromobility user?

Placemaking

• How do the installations on the Promenade affect to your experience?

• Are there particular installations that have a more signifcant effect than others?

• Do the installations encourage you to stop and interact?

STUDY FINDINGS

FINDINGS | OVERVIEW

Pedestrian and Screenline Count

Between December 30, 2023 and March 16, 2024, 39,059 (99.99% CI, MOE 1%)* JFK Promenade users were observed across six observation zones over 144 observation periods on the roadbed of JFK Promenade.

Eighty-nine percent of the observations were conducted on sunny or partly cloudy days. The most common weekdays for observations were Tuesday and Thursday, while the most common day for observations on the weekend was Saturday. Most observations were conducted in the month of February (75), followed by January (57), March (13), and December (1). Two morning observations were conducted before sunrise, and these observations account for approximately 6% of all morning observations on weekdays. Five observations were conducted after sunset, and these observations account for approximately 20% of all evening observations on weekdays. No observations were conducted in inclement weather.

The average number of observations counted during the timeframe (20 minutes) on JFK Promenade across all categories was 272. On weekdays, the number of observations was 219. On weekends, the average number increased to 324. The timeframe with the largest average number of observations was weekends from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with an average of 447. This amounts to an average of 22 users per minute in an observation zone. The timeframe with the smallest number of users counted was weekends from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., with an average of 167. This amounts to an average of nine users per minute in an observation zone.

Installation Actvity Mapping

On February 24, 2024 and March 16, 2024, seven stationary activity mapping observation sessions were conducted at four different installations. In total, 272 users were observed, or approximately 16% of installation interactions on JFK Promenade.

Two observation periods were conducted at each installation: Resonance West, Living Rooms, Eat, Travel, Play, Care, and the Elder Mother Tree. The observations were conducted between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and sessions lasted 30 minutes each. The weather during all observations was sunny.

There were four different categories for observing stationary JFK Promenade users at each installation: age, posture, group, and activity.

Interviews and Conversations

Interviews were conducted on various days on JFK Promenade. They took the form of informal conversations, and I jotted down notes as users shared their thoughts in response to my questions.

Overall, eight users shared their thoughts about JFK Promenade, including insights about each focus area: accessibility, safety, and placemaking. The interviewees were:

• Two adult micro-mobility users

• Two adult cyclists

• One senior walker

• Two adult runners

• One adult walker

I had numerous conversations with JFK Promenade users while collecting data through the pedestrian and cyclist screen line counts and stationary activity mapping. I also used their insights as qualitative data in my analysis.

* 39,059 is 1.8% of total population, 2,200,000, based on data collected by SFRPD between July 2022 and July 2023.

Blue Heron Lake Drive & JFKP, February 2024

ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESSIBILITY FINDINGS | MODE

Cyclists were the largest user group, representing more than half the users on JFK Promenade at 53%. Cyclists made up a majority of users on JFK Promenade at all times of the day, on both weekends and weekdays. Micro-mobility users were the smallest user group at 3%. Pedestrians made up 44% of users, with 19% people walking and 25% people running. There were more runners than people walking, especially in the mornings. But, there were much more people walking on JFK Promenade on weekend evenings. During the weekdays, runners were much more prevalent. Sixty-one maintenance vehicles were observed during the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count, which was less than 1% of users observed on JFK Promenade. There were 153 people who turned around (westbound to eastbound) at Transverse Drive, which was around 3% of the users there.

Mode Separation by Time of Day

WEEKDAY

3.6

Figure 3.5

Figure

ACCESSIBILITY

Promenade Users by Mode at each Observation Zone n = 33,856

Cyclists Micromobility

Runners

Tranverse Dr.

= 106

= 2,520

= 562

When examining user activity by observation zone, users on wheels made up more than half of all users at each observation zone. The percentage of cyclists was consistent across all observation zones. The overall number of users observed on JFK Promenade dropped west of 8th Avenue. There was a double-digit percentage decrease in the amount of people walking west of 8th Avenue compared with the number of people walking at other observation zones.

There was a consistent amount of people running at each observation zone, with a concentration of runners at Blue Heron Lake Drive. The busiest part of JFK Promenade seemed to be between

3.7

8th Avenue and Nancy Pelosi Drive. Far less users were observed at Transverse Drive and Blue Heron Drive. There was a nearly 40% decrease in user counts from Conservatory Drive West & JFK Promenade to Transverse Drive and JFK Promenade.

“I USUALLY WALK ON THE SIDEWALK TO LET THE CYCLIST DO THEIR THING”

SENIOR WALKING

Figure

ACCESSIBILITY FINDINGS | AGE

Promenade Users by Age

3.8

Overall, 86% of JFK Promenade users were adults, while seniors and youth made up around 14%. There was nearly an equal amount of youths and seniors on the JFK Promenade, each age group comprising of about 7%.

An equal number of youths and seniors were observed at 8th Avenue, Conservatory Drive West, and Nancy Pelosi Drive. However, at Transverse Drive and Blue Heron Drive, there was a larger number of seniors observed by more than 10%.

During the weekdays, the largest share of seniors was observed during the middle of the day across all observation zones. There were twice as many seniors out in the middle of the day than youth. Almost half of youth were observed on JFK Promenade in the evenings on weekdays.

During the weekends, a much larger percentage of seniors were observed on JFK Promenade in the mornings than youth. Fewer youths were observed on JFK Promenade on weekend mornings.

There was an equal share of youth and seniors on JFK Promenade in the middle of the day on weekends. There were more youth observed on JFK Promenade in the evenings than seniors. See appendices for more information.

Figure 3.9

Figure

ACCESSIBILITY FINDINGS | DIRECTION &

TIME OF DAY

(W) n = 178

(E) n = 172

(W) n = 782

(E) n = 924

(W) n = 32

(E) n = 35

(W) n = 819

(E) n = 1527

(W) n = 379

(E) n = 324

(W) n = 363

(E) n = 685

(W) n = 57

(E) n = 40

(W) n = 788

(E) n = 814

(W) n = 528

(E) n = 485

(W) n = 1212

(E) n = 1057

(W) n = 62

(E) n = 63

(W) n = 1781

(E) n = 1341

On weekday mornings, the most signifcant difference in direction by mode is cyclist moving eastbound in the morning. People walking, running, and micromobility users will move in different directions at more or less the same quantity.

In the middle of the day on weekdays, people walking, micromobility users, and cyclist will move westbound while runners will move eastbound.

On weekday evenings, more cyclist will move westbound on JFK Promenade in the evening.

(W) n = 178

(E) n = 152

(W) n = 936

(E) n = 634

(W) n = 24

(E) n = 20

(W) n = 753

(E) n = 470

(W) n = 1039

(E) n = 949

(W) n = 947

(E) n = 1524

(W) n = 136

(E) n = 77

(W) n = 2502

(E) n = 2230

(W) n = 882

(E) n = 1045

(W) n = 497

(E) n = 1118

(W) n = 193

(E) n = 153

(W) n = 1991

(E) n = 2363

On weekend mornings, more runners, cyclist and people walking will move westbound on JFK Promenade than eastbound.

On weekends midday, people walking, micromobility users, and cyclist will move west.

On weekend evenings, cyclists, runners, and people walking will move eastward.

Figure 3.10

ACCESSIBILITY

Direction at each Observation Zone by Mode

Walkers Runners

3.11

Overall, there is no signifcant difference between the westbound and eastbound directions amongst all modes at all times of the day, weekends and weekdays.

For people walking on the Promenade, most people will walk eastbound at Conservatory Drive West, Nancy Pelosi and Conservatory Drive East.

More runners are moving eastbound than eastbound at almost all observation zones, except for Transverse Drive. Twice as many people will approach Transverse Drive from the east than the west.

Despite being the smallest user group, twice as many people using micromobility will approach Transverse Drive from the east than the west.

As the largest user group on the Promenade, the number of cyclist moving west vs east is largely the same, except for Conservatory Drive East where a slightly larger number of cyclist will approach from the west.

Amongst people walking, runners, and micromobility users, fewer people will enter the Promenade from Transverse Drive. Most people will approach Conservatory Drive East from the west.

Figure

FINDINGS | TRAFFIC SAFETY INCIDENTS SAFETY

Percentage of Traffc Safety Incidents by Observation Zone

Traffc Safety Incidents

Promenade Users

During the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count, 876 traffc safety incidents were observed. Traffc safety incidents were near misses and yields, not collisions. And despite the high volume of users at each observation zone, there were few traffc safety incidents. Three percent of JFK Promenade users who walk, run, or cycle, found themselves involved in a safety confict. Pedestrian yields on midday weekends amounted to 25% of all traffc safety incidents. There were zero collisions observed on JFK Promenade during the duration of the study. While most traffc safety incidents occurred at Conservatory Drive East, only 5% of users at this observation zone were involved in a traffc safety incident. Only 1% of users were involved in a traffc safety incident at Transverse Drive and Blue Heron Lake Drive. Even while there are greater chances of incidents occurring on the weekends, few traffc safety incidents are likely to occur on JFK Promenade.

Total Trafc Safety Incidents

876

Traffc Safety Incidents

34% 66% Weekdays Weekends 7:00am - 9:00am 7:00am - 9:00am 12:00pm - 2:00pm 4:00pm - 6:00pm 12:00pm - 2:00pm 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Figure 3.13

Figure 3.15

SAFETY

Percentage

of Pedestrian Yields and Close Calls by Observation Zone

Pedestrian Yields

Close Calls

There were more pedestrian yields observed on JFK Promenade than close calls. Pedestrians yield to users on wheels more often. Pedestrian yields made up approximately 60% of the traffc safety incidents whereas close calls made up approximately 40%. Conservatory Drive East accounted for one-third of all traffc safety incidents on JFK Promenade, which was more than all the traffc safety incidents at Transverse Drive, Blue Heron Lake, and 8th Avenue put together. Close calls at Conservatory Drive East were more likely than pedestrian yields at every other observation zone except for Nancy Pelosi Drive. See appendices for more information.

“[MICROMOBILITY USERS] ARE RECKLESS - IF YOU HAVE THE MOST INERTIA, YOU HAVE THE MOST RESPONSIBILITY” -

ADULT CYCLIST

SAFETY

FINDINGS | CROSSING PROMENADE

Traffc Safety Incidents and park users Crossing Promenade by Observation Zone

Yields

Promenade

Crossing JFK Promenade represents perpendicular traffc on it, i.e., park users crossing it from curb to curb. Overall, 2,335 park users were observed crossing JFK promenade across all observation zones. People crossing it represented 6% of all users observed during the pedestrian and screen line count. Most people observed crossing JFK Promenade were at 8th Avenue. The second highest number of people observed crossing JFK Promenade was at Nancy Pelosi Drive. The least amount of people crossing was at Transverse Drive.

When comparing people crossing JFK Promenade to traffc safety incidents at each observation zone, there were fewer traffc safety incidents than crossings. While there was a relatively low number of people crossing at Conservatory Drive East, there was nearly an equal amount of traffc safety incidents observed at that observation zone.

“I’D RATHER DODGE

A MILLION PEOPLE THAN DEAL WITH A FEW CARS”

- ADULT CYCLIST

Figure

“4 Year Anniversary of JFK Promenade” event, April 2024

PLACEMAKING

PLACEMAKING FINDINGS | INSTALLATION

INTERACTIONS

Installation interaction data was collected through the pedestrian and cyclist screen line counts, and represents the number of users who stopped at each installation in the observation zone. 1,652 Installation interactions were observed, which means approximately 4% of JFK Promenade users stopped and interacted with the installations on it.More JFK Promenade users stopped and interacted with the installations on weekends than on weekdays. The only installation where more than 10% of the population counted in the observation zone stopped and interacted, was at the Elder Mother tree at Conservatory Drive East. Otherwise, installation interaction frequency was 5% or lower across all zones. See appendices for more information.

PLACEMAKING

Percentage of Installation Interactions at each Observation Zone

Installation Interactions

n = 1,652

Community Music Room Activation Event

n = 32

Nearly half of the installation interactions that occurred on JFK Promenade were observed at the Elder Mother tree. More interactions occurred there than at 8th Avenue and Conservatory Drive West put together. The Elder Mother tree encourages more installation interactions than any another installation or activation. At Blue Heron Lake Drive, nearly 25% of interactions at the Resonance West installation occurred during one observation period: at a Community Music Hangout activation session. Without the Community Music Hangout session, the overall number of interactions at Blue Heron Drive dropped to the lowest number of interactions across all observation zones at approximately 6%. Despite providing differing activities to JFK Promenade users, the Living Rooms at 8th Avenue and the Eat, Travel, Play, Care sculptures had nearly the same number of interactions. Fifty percent of the interactions took place on the weekends.

“WHEN I’M PASSING THE SCULPTURES FOR THE 50TH TIME, I KEEP GOING ON MY WAY, BUT I LOVE THEM ALL”

- ADULT

CYCLIST

PLACEMAKING

Percentage of Installation Interactions at each Observation Zone by Mode

Pedestrian Interactions

n = 1,310

Wheels Interactions

n = 342

When comparing installation interactions between pedestrians and users on wheels, more pedestrians stopped and interacted with the installations than users on wheels across all locations. Most cyclists interacted with the installations in the evenings on weekdays. Most pedestrians interacted with the installations in the middle of the day and in the evening on weekends.

Despite having the second highest number of pedestrian interactions, the highest percentage of pedestrian interactions was at the Eat, Travel, Play, Care statue. The location with the highest percentage of cyclist and micro-mobility interactions was at Resonance West. However, a large percentage of interactions from users on wheels occurred at Resonance West during a Community Music Hangout event. Otherwise, the chimes at Transverse Drive attracted a high percentage of users on wheels to stop and interact.

“THE INSTALLATIONS ARE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, JUST CHILLING AND CHATTING WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVE JUST MET, IT’S FABULOUS”

PLACEMAKING

FINDINGS | RESONANCE WEST

Figure 3.21

Gathering Space

Installation Area: 632 Sqft

Installation Amenities

8 yellow adirondack chairs

4 planter boxes

1 piano

Installation Interaction Frequency: 3%

% of Total Promenade Interactions: 9%

Posture

Standing

Standing - Leaning

Sitting

Sitting - Mobile

Sitting - Improvised

Group

Pair of 2

Group of 3+

Single

With Wheels

Artist Statement:

“We live in a vibrational reality, where frequency is the foundation of everything. When a frequency is matched a state of resonance is achieved. A kind of coherence. Multiple entities in perfect synchronicity with each other.

Music helps us understand this truth. It moves us with emotion and guides our experience of life through feeling. We have had music with us since the beginning and it has always brought us together, to experience its magic in community. Vibration, resonating through a group...”1

1 “Resonance (West),” Golden Mile Project, September 26, 2022, https://goldenmileproject.org/project/resonance-west/.

PLACEMAKING

FINDINGS | LIVING ROOMS

Stationary Activity n = 79

Physical Exercise/Playing Games

Figure 3.22

Gathering Space

Installation Area: 3712 Sqft

Installation Amenities

1 Ping Pong Table

2 Picnic Tables

5 Benches

Spectating Performance

4 Spinning Chairs

7 Planter Boxes

Installation Interaction Frequency: 5%

% of Total Promenade Interactions: 20%

Posture

Standing

Standing - Leaning

Sitting - Fixed

Sitting - Mobile

Group

Pair of 2

Group of 3+

Single With Wheels

Promenade User Statement:

“Upon discovering a ping pong table along the JFK Promenade near Eighth Avenue, Savanna and Roman didn’t go back and forth about whether they should try it out. “We don’t usually play but this is fun,” Savanna said. “That’s great it’s so accessible.” The fancées normally hang around Golden Gate Park’s Speckels Lake, so fnding games, chairs, art, and other fun activities on their lunchtime stroll through JFK was quite unexpected. Another one of their favorite features: the nearby spinning chairs. “The chairs are a really cool shape,” Roman said. “This is awesome. Great work!”1

1 “People of the Promenade | San Francisco Recreation and Parks, CA,” accessed May 8, 2024, https://www. sfrecpark.org/1650/People-of-the-Promenade.

FINDINGS | EAT, TRAVEL, PLAY, CARE

Figure 3.23

Sculpture

Installation Area: 24 Sqft

Height: 6 ft. 6 in.

Installation Amenities

N/A

Installation Interaction Frequency: 5%

% of Total Promenade Interactions: 20%

Posture

Standing

Standing - Leaning

Sitting - Mobile Group

Pair of 2 Group of 3+

Single

With Wheels

Artist Statement:

“Gillie and Marc’s beloved characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, stand as symbols of unity and love. These anthropomorphic fgures, a rabbit and a dog, represent the fusion of two disparate species, highlighting the beauty of diversity and the power of connection. Rabbitwoman and Dogman’s love story transcends boundaries, serving as a reminder that love knows no bounds and that our differences can be our greatest strengths. The exhibition, titled ‘Eat, Travel, Play, Care,’ comprises four enchanting bronze sculptures that tell compelling stories and invite visitors to engage with art in a profound and interactive way.”1

1 “Eat, Travel, Play, Care,” Golden Mile Project, November 2, 2023, https://goldenmileproject.org/project/eattravel-play-care/.

PLACEMAKING

FINDINGS | ELDER MOTHER TREE

Sculpture

Installation Area: 2,207 Sqft

Height: 20 ft.

Installation Amenities

4 Benches

Installation Interaction Frequency: 13%

% of Total Promenade Interactions: 43%

Posture

Standing

Standing - Leaning

Sitting - Fixed Group

Pair of 2 Group of 3+

Single

With Wheels

Artist Statement:

“Elder Mother is a magic, monumental, aweinspiring, shade-bearing tree that moves in the wind and speaks through the language of light and color. The 30-ft metal sculpted tree carries a 25-ft canopy offering a place for animals to gather day and night with ever-changing, interactive illumination... Elder Mother’s six speakers tell over 28 hours of fairytales, folklore, and personal anecdotes across 26 different languages. Her name and function is inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson story “The Elder-Tree Mother”. 1

1 “ELDER MOTHER,” CharlesGadeken.com, accessed May 8, 2024, https://www.charlesgadeken.com/ elder-mother.

DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION | KEY TAKEAWAYS

Since 2020, millions of people have walked, run, and cycled down JFK Promenade. In collecting user behavior data and having conversations with users, the results indicated that the core experience for them on JFK Promenade is the increased space to walk, run, and cycle.

Unsurprisingly, JFK Promenade users are mobile. The 1.43 miles of linear asphalt that winds through the eastern portion of Golden Gate Park facilitates movement. For many users, their main experience on JFK Promenade is traveling to and from a destination either within or outside of the park.

Most pedestrians are running and exercising in the evening on weekdays, and in the morning on weekends. A small percentage of walkers, runners, and cyclists, will stop and actively engage with the installations on JFK Promenade, suggesting most users are experiencing it while they move. Whether users are traveling beyond the boundaries of the roadbed or staying within JFK Promenade, we should expect users to be moving rather than stationary.

JFK Promenade is one of only three promenades within the SFRPD’s network of public spaces, but JFK Promenade’s surrounding areas infuence how people use it. JFK Promenade lies close to the center of the city, is transit accessible, and is surrounded by places that receive millions of visitors each year. There are plenty of adjacent spaces for stationary activity, but the roadbed of JFK Promenade is a place for moving all kinds of people in a busy area of San Francisco.

The roadbed of JFK Promenade still has the physical qualities of a road. The current layout does not separate modes, nor does it include amenities for people, like seating and landscaping. Yet, these physical qualities of the road still attract thousands of users daily, and provides a valuable space for them. There are plenty of existing spaces directly adjacent to JFK Promenade, including Conservatory Valley, Skate N’ Place, the Rose Garden, and Pioneer Meadow, that can offer

amenities, activities, and experiences that JFK Promenade cannot. Even though the roadbed lacks the design features of a promenade, cyclists use it to get to and from work and runners use it as part of their running route. More importantly, cyclists, runners, and people walking can all enjoy JFK Promenade without a signifcant amount of traffc safety incidents. There may be a perceived sense of confict between users because of JFK Promenade’s unplanned nature, but thousands of users can experience it together with little friction. What it lacks in physical features, like seating and landscaping, it gains in open space for a variety of users.

To improve JFK Promenade, the fexibility of space that currently exists should be considered. In conversations with users, regulating the fow of users is at the forefront of improving the space. However, my observations indicate that even when JFK Promenade user volumes are at their peak in the middle of the day on weekends, traffc safety incidents are of a small proportion compared to the overall number of users.

Overall, the three most signifcant data points from the public life study are the presence of cyclists and joggers, the low percentage of traffc safety incidents, and the low percentage of installation interactions on JFK Promenade. Despite the volume of users, traffc safety incidents are low. Despite the overwhelming appreciation for the installations on the road, active engagement is low. Despite a promenade’s purpose of facilitating a leisurely stroll, JFK Promenade still serves as a throughway. Together, these data points illuminate the multiple uses of JFK Promenade, beyond just that of a place to walk.

We should not expect JFK Promenade to function exclusively as a place for leisurely walking. By examining the data, we see how activity on it is infuenced by adjacent spaces, the availability of transit, the time of day, and Golden Gate Park’s location within the larger network of shared streets in San Francisco. City life is impinging on JFK

Promenade, but not in a negative way. The range of uses of JFK Promenade speaks to its value as a space within San Francisco.

With a high visitation rate, a large volume of cyclists, runners, walkers, micro-mobility users, and a diverse use of installations, it raises the question of how much additional work needs to be made to JFK Promenade. If its strength as a space is to facilitate mobility, then why impede on the ability to move around freely? If it creates joy for so many as an unplanned piece of asphalt, why infringe on that joy by making it something else? There’s plenty of room for everybody, and I would encourage planners, designers, and policymakers to consider how changes to the roadbed might affect user experience.

DISCUSSION

ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY,

Promenades are typically places for a leisurely stroll. While this is true of JFK Promenade, the fndings suggest that it is also a critical pathway for cyclists. With over 50% of the users cycling down it, we fnd that a signifcant percentage of users in the morning are cyclists moving eastward on weekdays. The same is true for cyclists moving westward in the evenings on weekdays. Given what we know about San Francisco geography, a signifcant percentage of these users are most likely commuters going to and from their place of work. The width of JFK Promenade as well as the absence of private vehicles make it an ideal place for cycling as a mode of transportation. It is not just a place for leisure, but a critical piece of transportation infrastructure.

JFK Promenade is also a hot spot for people jogging, even though it may not have the best features for that form of exercise. But it is still known as a safe, enjoyable place and runners are focking there. And along with an increase in people running there since the start of the pandemic, there are also many more people doing other various forms of exercise there too, including walking and cycling.

Direction can tell us a lot about which kinds of adjacent spaces infuence activity on JFK Promenade. The fndings suggest that activity on it is not evenly distributed. Despite only being a mile-and-a-half long, users move through the space in different ways depending on where they are. At Transverse Drive, most users will approach moving westbound. While few users will turn around, Transverse Drive and JFK Promenade seem to be an exit point. At 8th Avenue, people walking and running will most likely move westbound. With spaces like the Music Concourse, the Bandshell, the De Young Museum, and the Academy of Sciences, we can expect those destinations to draw JFK Promenade users in. Most users will approach Conservatory Drive East going eastbound, suggesting an exit point

PLACEMAKING

for JFK Promenade. Above all else, moving along JFK Promenade is not a one-way experience, nor do users move through the entire length it. JFK Promenade users move through the space in different directions for different reasons.

JFK Promenade is hailed as a safe place for children and seniors, and together they make up around 15% of its users. Based on frsthand observations, kids are likely to ride with their parents or guardians in the morning, presumably on their way to school. There is a high percentage of youth on the weekends when school is out. Kids seem attracted to installations on JFK Promenade that have diverse uses, like the Elder Mother Tree and the Eat, Travel, Play, Care sculptures. Regarding seniors, there are a higher percentage of them walking on JFK Promenade in the middle of the day on weekdays. Seniors are more likely to walk the entire length of it, and Blue Heron Lake seems to be a destination via JFK Promenade. It also seems to function as a playground for kids and a quiet place for seniors.

It is recommended that promenades regulate the use of space by dividing modes to prevent traffc collisions, but that intervention may not be necessary on JFK Promenade. Overall, only 3% of JFK Promenade users will fnd themselves in a traffc safety incident. Whether a cyclist is swerving out of the way of pedestrians or other cyclists, close calls represent only 1% of traffc safety incidents. Pedestrians are more likely to yield on JFK Promenade to oncoming cyclists and micromobility users, and those incidents represent just 2% of all users.

With a high volume of users along JFK Promenade, the perception of danger does not compare with the data. In conversations and interviews with JFK Promenade users, pedestrians mentioned feeling unsafe on the roadbed due to the high volume of users on wheels. The most signifcant factor that infuenced their perception of safety was speed.

The number of traffc safety incidents climbs farther east along JFK Promenade. The eastern portion is much more populated than the western half. But with more people using JFK Promenade, traffc safety incidents increase. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between the number of traffc safety incidents on JFK Promenade and the number of installation interactions at each observation zone. At Nancy Pelosi Drive and JFK Promenade, we fnd that there are a higher number of traffc safety incidents where there are no installations. While it is only marginally higher than other observation zones, it might suggest that the presence of installations on the roadbed creates a safer environment for pedestrians and helps to slow down users on wheels. There are also many

people crossing JFK Promenade at Nancy Pelosi Drive. Additionally, many traffc safety incidents and installation interactions at Conservatory Drive East suggests that JFK Promenade cannot serve everyone simultaneously. Providing space for interactions is desirable, but it may create confict for the fow of mobility.

Percentage of Installation Interactions vs Traffc Safety Incidents by Observation Zone

Installation Interactions

n = 1,652

Traffc Safety Incidents

n = 876

Figure

The installations on the roadbed of JFK Promenade are the most unique intervention. Roads for traveling do not typically have art sculptures and seating in the middle of them. Placing these installations on the roadbed of JFK Promenade is an unusual intervention considering Promenades are places for movement, not stationary activity. Offcials responsible for managing roads in Central Park in New York City are not creating gathering spaces, sculptures, or other activations as part of their strategy to manage the fow of movement on their roads. However, Central Park roads are roads - they are not called Promenades, and there is no intention to facilitate community interaction on the roads in Central Park like there is on JFK Promenade.

The Installation Activity data allow us to see how users interact with the different types of installations on the Promenade. Most visitors are standing, even at installations like the Living Rooms that contain ample seating. At the Living Rooms, the fndings show that only half of the people occupying that space will sit. The other half will stand. Despite being a pillar of placemaking strategies, seating on the Promenade is only partially full. Even at the Elder Mother Tree, where people interacting with the installation are given a chance to sit on the benches, a vast majority of users are standing. When we consider the other adjacent spaces to the Promenade where sitting is more common, these fndings on posture make sense. Park goers are more likely to sit in a place where stationary activity is more common, not the roadbed of the Promenade. However, this does not mean seating on the Promenade or immediately adjacent to it is not valuable.

Installations with seating, like the Living Rooms and the Elder Mother Tree, invite users to participate in the activities the installation is providing. Visitors at the Elder Mother Tree will sit and watch the lights and listen to the stories. Visitors at the Living Rooms will stop and talk with friends or play table tennis. In contrast, the Eat, Travel, Play, Care sculptures do not offer amenities for user engagement. There is no seating nor are there any activities. But, children will play at Eat, Travel, Play, Care as much as they will play within

the Living Rooms. Despite these differences, the amount of installation interactions is the same at both the art sculptures and the gathering spaces. Moreover, these activities are a sharp contrast to what we would typically fnd in the middle of a road.

The installations on JFK Promenade are having an impact on user experience, despite few Promenade users actively engaging with them. Installations that are interactive and engage multiple sensessight, touch, audio, and feel - are more attractive to Promenade users. Many people who stop at the installations are talking with one another, taking pictures, and in some instances listening to live music. These activities help to strengthen connections among users. In conversations with Promenade users, they mention how much they enjoy the installations. They make the transition from road to public space feel much more tangible. Clearly, the installations have an impact on user experience, even if they are not actively engaging with them in large numbers.

Nevertheless, my observations suggest that the low number of people interacting with the installations contrasts with the enthusiasm around the installations. It appears Promenade users passively engage with the installations on the roadbed and enjoy their presence despite not always stopping.

Blue Heron Lake Dr. & JFKP, February 2024

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS

A FRAMEWORK FOR FUTURE INSTALLATIONS

1. Determine the purpose of the Installation in the context of its surrounding spaces.

There is no shortage of dynamic spaces within Golden Gate Park for visitors. JFK Promenade facilitates movement, so forcing installations on it with activities that can be found elsewhere may not increase user engagement. However, installations on the roadbed of JFK Promenade could potentially increase safety for users, and they could also fll activity gaps within Golden Gate Park. Key questions to consider:

• What activity/service is the installation serving within Golden Gate Park?

• Can this activity be found elsewhere nearby?

2.Determine Target User Group and Physical Characteristics.

Most users on JFK Promenade are cyclists, followed by runners, then people walking, then micro-mobility users. Most users are adults, while a smaller fraction of users are seniors and kids. Installations that provide multiple activities or services tend to invite more users to actively engage. Additionally, JFK Promenade users are more likely to stand while actively engaging with an installation on it. Key questions to consider:

• Is the Installation targeting a certain user group like cyclists or runners?

• What are the installation’s physical characteristics? What senses does it engage?

• What does the installation encourage users to do on the Promenade?

3. Determine the location for the Installation

JFK Promenade is much busier between 8th Avenue and Conservatory Drive East. Much less people will walk towards Blue Heron Lake Drive and Transverse Drive, and a larger majority of users at those two locations will be cyclists. There is a larger share of runners near Blue Heron Lake Drive than other observation zones. More people will be crossing JFK Promenade at 8th Avenue and Nancy Pelosi Drive than other observation zones.

• How is the installation serving users at this location on the Promenade?

• Is it complimenting or contrasting from the adjacent spaces nearby?

Like UN Plaza and India Basin Shoreline Park, placemaking on the roadbed should relate to the overall goals and objectives the SFRPD sets for JFK Promenade and Golden Gate Park. A high volume of people walking, running, and cycling on it signals that users will come to there to move. The current design of JFK Promenade encourages users to move and stay moving, which is not necessarily a bad thing. People will use it for different reasons at different times of the day. The installations make people slow down and in some cases, come to a complete stop.

• Why is it important for users to actively engage with the installations on the Promenade?

• How can the installations bring people together and build community between users who wouldn’t otherwise cross paths if they didn’t stop?

John F. Kennedy Promenade

ADD NEW INSTALLATIONS AT KEY LOCATIONS ON THE ROADBED OF THE PROMENADE

Nancy Pelosi Drive & JFKP

This intersection is a high-volume area for people crossing JFK Promenade. It could be an entrance for many park visitors, and their frst exposure to it. A Living Room at this intersection would help to reduce pedestrian yields and serve as a welcoming entrance to park visitors coming from Nancy Pelosi Drive.

6th Ave & JFKP

Adjacent to the Skate N’ Place and between two of the busiest zones on JFK Promenade, an installation with Adirondack chairs, planter boxes, and tables could serve as a gathering place for micro-mobility users transitioning from the Skate N’ Place to JFK Promenade. It could also serve as a place for users to spectate the Skate N’ Place.

Rose Garden & JFKP

Considering the Rose Garden is a popular attraction within Golden Gate Park, an installation here could serve as a gateway to and from JFK Promenade. Like Nancy Pelosi Drive, an installation would also help to make crossing JFK Promenade safer for pedestrians. This intersection is more sloped than other observation zones, and so speed is more likely a factor infuencing traffc safety at this intersection. An installation may infuence the perception of safety here for pedestrians who are crossing the roadbed.

IMPROVE EXISTING INSTALLATIONS FOR SAFER AREAS and ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE

Elder Mother Tree/Future Installation

Installations on JFK Promenade should balance targeting stationary activity users and mobile JFK Promenade users. As shown in the data, Elder Mother is a valuable placemaking asset. While it is only temporary, it is a well-liked installation for users on JFK Promenade. Nevertheless, because of its size, it’s attractiveness for users, and the length of JFK Promenade at that intersection, future installations similar to Elder Mother should be constructed with increased safety measures in mind.

Resonance West

The Community Music Hangout makes this installation at Blue Heron Lake Drive an attractive destination for users. Without it, the installation does little to attract people using JFK Promenade by Blue Heron Lake. If the Community Music

Hangout is an ongoing event, this installation should be improved to further accommodate stationary spectators while also recognizing mobile users on JFK Promenade.

Chimes

Recognizing that more JFK Promenade users will approach Transverse Drive westbound, there is an opportunity to add installations on the roadbed in addition to the chimes. These installations could mark the end of JFK Promenade for people turning around, and serve as a gateway to the other car-free roads in Golden Gate Park. Wayfnding signage and exercise equipment for runners could enhance the sense of place at Transverse Drive.

John F. Kennedy Promenade

Adjacent Green Spaces

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADJACENT SPACES TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE ON THE PROMENADE

Building community and bringing people together through installations can be achieved without flling the roadbed with installations. There are areas adjacent to JFK Promenade that could be used for activations and installations. These areas would not take up the existing space on the roadbed. Additionally, many of these green spaces are not named, meaning they can be activated on without inficting on the designated purpose of the space.

The greatest asset of JFK Promenade is the space provided in the roadbed. Unlike Central Park roads in New York City, JFK Promenade has width. JFK Promenade can accommodate nearly 14 users per minute at the busiest location during its busiest time, and still have a low number of pedestrian yields and near misses. Based on the analysis of the data collected, squeezing users into a fraction of the space currently provided for a new, larger installation, could increase traffc safety incidents

where there aren’t any. To avoid creating safety issues on JFK Promenade and allow users to move on it, future installations and events could be placed on adjacent green spaces and still cater to user preferences and desires when possible. The wooden blocks adjacent to Nancy Pelosi Drive provide an impromptu playground on green space next to JFK Promenade. The beer garden on 14th Avenue Meadow provides live music and beverages without disrupting activity on JFK Promenade. The idea is to keep JFK Promenade a place for movement and be strategic about how installations are placed.

JFK PROMENADE: 410,565 sqft

ADJACENT GREEN SPACES:181,929 sqft

LOVE Blocks on Conservatory Valley, near Nancy Pelosi Drive & JFKP

Kids playing on Tree next Heroes Grove, near 10th Ave & JFKP

John F. Kennedy Promenade

Pedestrian and Cyclist Roads in Golden Gate Park

Wayfnding Signs/Installation Opporunity Zones

KNIT JFK PROMENADE TO OTHER PEDESTRIAN ROADS IN GOLDEN GATE PARK AND BEYOND

JFK Promenade encompasses only 1.5 miles of roads in Golden Gate Park where private vehicle access is restricted. In addition to JFK Promenade, there are about 1.98 miles of roads in Golden Gate Park where pedestrians and cyclists can walk, run, and roll without private vehicles: Middle Drive, Overlook Drive, and Martin Luther King Drive in the western parts of Golden Gate Park. Currently, there are no installations or activations on these roads.

With over 50% of cyclists occupying JFK Promenade, there is an opportunity to extend the experience of it further west to other roads where private vehicle access is restricted. Adding wayfnding signage on Middle Drive, Overlook Drive, and Martin Luther King Drive would signal to JFK Promenade users that the experience continues west of Transverse Drive. While there is likely a signifcant decrease in users west of Transverse Drive, cyclists remain a dominant

force on JFK Promenade from Conservatory Drive East to Transverse Drive, and it is likely they will continue riding on Middle Drive. There are many more gardens, lakes, felds, meadows, and gathering spaces west of Transverse Drive in Golden Gate Park, so the experience should not end at Transverse Drive.

Connecting Middle Drive to JFK Promenade at Transverse Drive with wayfnding signage signals to cyclist they have 1.98 miles of road to roll on without gathering spaces, sculptures, and other installations to navigate. Essentially, it’s an area where cyclists can ride faster with reduced pedestrian foot trafc. With the installations on JFK Promenade, cyclists should be aware of increased pedestrians and stationary activity. They have nearly two miles of road to cycle without running the risk of running into pedestrians.

See page 91 for proposed guidelines.

Polo Fields

Bison Paddock

Hellman Hollow

Lindley Meadow

Casting Pond Golden Gate Park Golf Course

Beach Chalet

Metson Lake

Middle Drive

Overlook Drive

MLK Drive

GOLDEN GATE PARK WALKING AND ROLLING

Overlook Drive

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION IMPLICATIONS FOR SFRPD PLANNERS,

DESIGNERS, & POLICYMAKERS

Planners, designers, and policymakers at the SFRPD should move beyond calling places like JFK Promenade a “car-free space.” The vocabulary around JFK Promenade amongst policymakers continues to revolve around transportation. This sidelines the experiences created in spaces when people are given the freedom to move around. San Francisco is the second densest city in the United States, and in addition to being a pedestrian-friendly, safe space, JFK Promenade is a reminder of why the uninterrupted experience of walking, running, strolling, cycling, and moving, is so important in our parks and public spaces.

Everyone can enjoy the open space of JFK Promenade as it is currently laid out with a low amount of traffc safety incidents. This data points raise the question of whether the SFRPD should repaint or reconstruct JFK Promenade with lanes and pathways on the roadbed to separate modes. Only four collisions have been reported on JFK Promenade since 2020, a signifcant difference to that of Central Park in New York City where many more collisions have occurred. One major constraint of Central Park is the width of the road to accommodate a large volume of users. JFK Promenade has an advantage over Central Park in this regard. Digging up the roadbed of JFK Promenade to provide space for other activities, whether stationary or active, seems counterintuitive given how much nearby space there already is. It is uncommon in park improvement projects, but the SFRPD should not disrupt what’s working fne.

Not only is JFK Promenade an amazing park space where pedestrians and cyclists can walk, run, and roll safely, but the installations make it a unique space. While 4% of users stop and interact with the installations on JFK Promenade, they are universally liked. While opinions on each installation differ, they successfully show JFK Promenade users why it is more than just a road.

It is an opportunity to stop along the way, engage in public art, watch live music, or play games with friends. While these activities can be found in other parts of Golden Gate Park, putting them on the roadbed encourages users to slow down. What separates JFK Promenade from Central Park is the installations, and the SFRPD should continue to implement them in a variety of different ways.

JFK Promenade is a testament to how much city residents need long stretches of open space for active recreation. Planners, designers, and policymakers should talk more about open stretches of road as a beneft to greater public health goals, as critical infrastructure for cyclists and joggers, and as places of human expression. JFK Promenade shows us that reducing those activities to the sidewalk or an adjacent park space is not enough. While there are 220 parks in the system that provide recreation opportunities, clearly San Franciscans are yearning for long stretches of open space where they can walk, run, cycle, and move around.

As mentioned previously, JFK Promenade was not designed, planned, and built like most parks and public spaces under the jurisdiction of the SFRPD. If it can be extremely popular without any major structural interventions to date, then does the roadbed of JFK Promenade need any intensive capital renovations moving forward? Traffc incidents are low, and adjacent spaces provide ample opportunity for other activities. The best intervention from planners and designers at the SFRPD should focus on enhancing the user experience via expanding on existing installations and catering to the mobility of users on the JFK Promenade and other pedestrian-friendly roads in Golden Gate Park.

California Cahve truck on Promenade, April 2024

Chapter 1 of JFK Promenade’s story was about the battle for space between pedestrians and private vehicles. For nearly two-and-a-half years, San Franciscans debated whether private vehicles should be restricted from JFK. Eventually, supporters of a permanent private vehicle ban won the debate.

Now that JFK is a permanent public space within Golden Gate Park, planners, designers, and policymakers should draw key takeaways from how the space is currently being used. More than just being a car-free space, JFK Promenade offers a place to walk, run, and cycle safely and freely in a dense urban environment. We often think of JFK Promenades as a car-free space, a place for strolling, a place for being seen, for a few people idling, and with a managed fow of traffc for all users. While this is partly true on JFK Promenade, the space is providing much more.

People seek parks for a variety of reasons, and San Francisco residents have no shortage of parks to visit for all kinds of activities. During a once-in-ageneration pandemic, restricting private vehicles from a road in the park provided the most basic thing a park can offer: the ability to roam freely in safely, in solitude, or in community. In essence, restricting private vehicles on roads reminded us of what it means to be human, including the ability to walk, run, exercise, stroll, and clear our heads.

It is amazing what kind of public space JFK Promenade has become with such little intervention. No plans, no designs, no renovations—just the removal of private vehicles from a linear, 1.5mile stretch of asphalt in Golden Gate Park. On JFK Promenade, it seems as though simply removing cars without following up with a capital improvement project is working well.

The next chapter of JFK Promenade should focus on what happens when people are given space to do what they want and need without being pushed to experience the space in a specifc type of way. If park planners, designers, and policymakers are serious about advancing equity in parks, they should look at why people are using JFK Promenade and how it can be replicated elsewhere.I

If simply restricting private vehicle access on JFK provided this much pleasure for San Francisco residents, then perhaps we are dedicating too much space for vehicles. Or maybe there is not enough park space in San Francisco for roaming freely. Whichever it is, planners, designers, and policymakers in San Francisco should value the experiences of unplanned open space as seriously as they consider how accessible and enjoyable parks are with private vehicles in them.

CONCLUSION | NEXT STEPS

JFK Promenade is constantly evolving, and this study represents a moment in its four-year life. Like many public spaces, continuous evaluation is needed to assess how JFK Promenade is functioning. These results are just a fraction of the activities and experiences happening on JFK Promenade. These results are meant to show SFRPD leadership what kinds of activities and experiences are forged on JFK Promenade. Hopefully, these results will be used to guide the SFRPD when the agency improves JFK Promenade through a capital project, investigates adding more installations, or assesses the safety of JFK Promenade for cyclists and pedestrians. All it takes is one, high-profle accident to occur on it, and local authorities will call for a study of safety conditions on JFK Promenade. The results from this study show how people move about JFK Promenade, but public spaces and public life are complex. There are a few studies the SFRPD could undertake to further illuminate how JFK Promenade functions:

Analyze Traffc Safety Incidents and Installation

Interactions on other pedestrian paths in San Francisco and beyond.

Contextualizing the results on JFK Promenade amongst results from other pedestrian paths will make the data from this report more valuable. Twin Peaks Promenade and Marina Green are similar places to study pedestrian and cyclist movement without private vehicles present.

Once the Central Park roads study is complete, the SFRPD should have a better sense of how JFK Promenade compares to Central Park in terms of user volume and safety. The SFMTA is also conducting a study using similar data collection methods, and their study will be able to provide insight on the nature of installation interactions and traffc safety incidents.

CONCLUSION | STUDY LIMITATIONS

Like most studies that rely on frsthand observation data collection methods, this study relies on the strength of the data collector. The human eye cannot catch every single JFK Promenade user, every installation interaction, and every single traffc safety incident. Nevertheless, with over 39,000 interactions observed on JFK Promenade, the overall number of observations limits the potential for error.

The age of JFK Promenade users collected in the pedestrian and cyclist screen line count is probably the most inaccurate, as it was diffcult to determine the difference between adults and seniors without obvious visual differences such as hair color, speed of movement, walking aides like canes and walkers, and facial features. It is possible that the actual number of seniors is slightly higher than observed in this study.

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Endnotes

1 “San Francisco Closes Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive and McLaren Park’s Shelley Drive to Vehicles to Support Phys- ical Distancing | Ofce of the Mayor,” accessed April 29, 2024, https://sfmayor.org/article/san-Francisco-closes-golden-gate- parks-jfkdrive-and-mclaren-parks-shelley-drive-vehicles.

2 “San Francisco Closes Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive and McLaren Park’s Shelley Drive to Vehicles to Support Physical Distancing | Ofce of the Mayor.

3 Christopher Kidd, “Golden Gate Park Access and Safety Program,” Text, SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, August 9, 2021), https://www.sfmta.com/projects/gold- en-gate-park-access-and-safety-program.

4 https://sfmayor.org/article/board-supervi- sors-approves-mayor-breed%E2%80%99s-legisla- tion-make-car-free-jfk-permanent

5 Access for All Ordinance, City and County of San Fran- cisco, July 22, 2022.

6 John F Shelley Promenade in McLaren Park, also locat- ed in San Francisco was approved 11 months after JFKP, and is 0.4 miles in length. Twin Peaks Promenade is being planned and designed as of Spring 2024.

7 “History of Golden Gate Park | San Francisco Recre- ation and Parks, CA,” accessed May 23, 2024, https://sfrecpark. org/1119/History-of-Golden-Gate-Park.

8 “Mayor de Blasio Announces Central Park, Will Become Permanently Car-Free | City of New York,” accessed April 27, 2024, https://www.nyc.gov/ofce-of-the-mayor/news/206-18/mayor-de-blasio-central-park-world-s-most-iconic-greenspace-will-becomepermanently#/0.

9 James Barron, “Can Central Park’s Drives Become More Peaceful? - The New York Times,” The New York Times, March 2, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/nyregion/central-parks-drives.html.

10 Barron, “Can Central Park’s Drives Become More Peaceful? - The New York Times.”

11 Jonathan Streeter- left, “Watch San Francisco’s Bike Network Bloom,” Text, SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, November 29, 2021), https://www.sfmta.com/blog/watch-san-franciscos-bike-network-bloom.

12 Macdonald, Elizabeth. Urban Waterfront Promenades. Oxford: Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. Accessed April 22, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.

13 Macdonald, Elizabeth. Urban Waterfront Promenades, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.

14 “JFK Promenade | San Francisco Recreation and Parks, CA,” accessed April 29, 2024, https://sfrecpark.org/1538/ JFK-Promenade.

15 “2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report” (Out- door Recreation Foundation, 2021), https://outdoorindustry. org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2021-Outdoor-Participa- tion-Trends-Report.pdf.

16 ibid

17 ibid

18 Francke A. Cycling during and after the COVID-19 pan- demic. Advances in Transport Policy and Planning. 2022;10:265– 90. doi: 10.1016/bs.atpp.2022.04.011. Epub 2022 Jun 11. PMCID: PMC9188448.

19 Pröbstl-Haider U, Gugerell K, Maruthaveeran S. Covid-19 and outdoor recreation - Lessons learned? Introduction to the special issue on “Outdoor recreation and Covid-19: Its ef- fects on people, parks and landscapes”. J Outdoor Recreat Tour. 2023 Mar;41:100583. doi: 10.1016/j.jort.2022.100583. Epub 2022 Nov 25. PMID: 37521268; PMCID: PMC9691452.

20 Pröbstl-Haider U, Gugerell K, Maruthaveeran S. Covid-19 and outdoor recreation - Lessons learned? Introduction to the special issue on “Outdoor recreation and Covid-19: Its efects on people, parks and landscapes”

21 Pröbstl-Haider U, Gugerell K, Maruthaveeran S. Covid-19 and outdoor recreation - Lessons learned? Introduction to the special issue on “Outdoor recreation and Covid-19: Its efects on people, parks and landscapes”

22 “Board of Supervisors Approves Mayor Breed’s Legislation to Make Car-Free JFK Permanent | Ofce of the Mayor,” accessed April 29, 2024, https://sfmayor.org/article/board-supervisors-approves-mayor-breed%E2%80%99s-legislation-make-car-free-jfk-permanent.

23 “San Francisco, California, Proposition J, Limit Private Vehicles on JFK Drive and Connector Streets in Golden Gate Park For Use as Recreational Open Space Measure (November 2022) - Ballotpedia,” accessed May 29, 2024, https://ballotpedia. org/ San_Francisco,_California,_Proposition_J,_Limit_Private_Ve- hicles_on_JFK_Drive_and_Connector_Streets_in_Golden_Gate_ Park_ For_Use_as_Recreational_Open_Space_Measure_(Novem- ber_2022)#Opposition.

24 “San Francisco, California, Proposition J, Limit Private Vehicles on JFK Drive and Connector Streets in Golden Gate Park For Use as Recreational Open Space Measure (November 2022) - Ballotpedia.”

25 Macdonald, Elizabeth. Urban Waterfront Promenades. pg. 35

26 ibid

27 Julie Hatfeld and Prasannah Prabhakharan, “An Inves- tigation of Behaviour and Attitudes Relevant to the User Safety of Pedestrian/Cyclist Shared Paths,” Transportation Research Part F: Trafc Psychology and Behaviour 40 (July 1, 2016): 35–47, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2016.04.005.

28 SFRPD and SFMTA, “Annual Report Golden Gate Park Access and Safety Program” (San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, August 18, 2023), https://sfrecpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/21773/Annual-Report-GGP-Access-and-Safety-FY23.

29 SFRPD and SFMTA, “Annual Report Golden Gate Park Access and Safety Program.”

30 ibid

31 “What Is Placemaking?,” accessed April 29, 2024, https://www.pps.org/article/what-is-placemaking.

32 “Placemaking Is...,” December 31, 2008, https://www. pps.org/article/placemakingis.

33 Courage, Cara, Borrup, Tom, Rosario Jackson, Maria, Legge, Kylie, Mckeown, Anita, Platt, Louise, and Schupbach, Jason, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Placemaking. Oxford: Taylor & Francis Group, 2020. Accessed April 30, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.

34 “UN Plaza in San Francisco: Is It Still the Drug Crisis Zone?,” The San Francisco Standard, January 27, 2024, https:// sfstandard.com/2024/01/27/un-plaza-drug-activity/.

35 “Big Five of Bayview and India Basin Waterfront Park, Part 2,” Trust for Public Land (blog), accessed April 30, 2024, https:// www.tpl.org/blog/big-fve-of-bayview-and-india-basin-waterfront-park-part-2.

36 Asmaa Abdelrahman, Khalid Al-Hagla, and Dina Saadallah, “The Role of Landscaping Elements in Enhancing Passive and Active Engagement in Urban Promenade: The Case of Pharos Promenade, Alexandria, Egypt,” Alexandria Engineering Journal 57, no. 4 (December 1, 2018): 3227–36, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. aej.2017.11.012.

37 Macdonald, Elizabeth. Urban Waterfront Promenades, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.pg. 2

38 “About,” Golden Mile Project, September 19, 2022, https://goldenmileproject.org/about/.

39 Kristi Coale, “Artists Transform SF’s JFK Drive Into a Sprawling Canvas to ‘Reveal the Promise of the Road,’” The Frisc, September 23, 2022, http://thefrisc.com/artists-transform- sfs-jfk-drive-into-a-sprawling-canvas-to-reveal-the-promise-of- the-road42a454220c84/

40 “Public Life Initiatives | Op,” accessed April 13, 2024, https://planning.dc.gov/page/public-life-initiatives.

41 “Public Life Initiatives | Op.”

42 Robin Abad Ocubillo and San Francisco Planning Department, “PUBLIC LIFE SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPART- MENT VERSION THREE: 2019 STUDY: STANDARDS MANUAL” (San Francisco Planning Department, 2017)

APPENDICES

Liz Shilling, 2024

PEDESTRIAN USER DATA

CYCLIST & MICROMOBILITY USER DATA

AGE & MODE

TRAFFIC SAFETY INCIDENTS

CROSSING PROMENADE

INSTALLATION INTERACTIONS

DIRECTION