Blue Greenway Way-finding Singage Community Engagement + Implementation
June 2022 - March 2023
Thomas Namara
Connecting spaces and people together.
The Blue Greenway presents an opportunity to connect 13 miles of underutilized waterfront space in San Francisco. Initiated in 2007 by Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Blue Greenway aims to create parks and public spaces along the city’s southeastern section of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Historically, this area has been developed as industrial space. However, recent housing developments have spurred planners and policymakers to renew the Blue Greenway plan. As the nonprofit leader for the Blue Greenway, the San Francisco Parks Alliance has partnered with various city agencies and community-based organizations to reimagine San Francisco’s industrial waterfront. One of the primary goals is to connect communities that have historically been shut out from the bay to the waterfront.
Connecting people starts with an engaging strategy.
As one of the first outreach and engagement sessions for the Blue Greenway in several years, it was essential to attract community members in a low-stakes environment. The goals for this initial session were to provide information about the Blue Greenway, outline the San Francisco Parks Alliance’s role in the project, and offer opportunities for community involvement in the organization’s mission to connect people and places. This includes adding wayfinding signage along the Bay Trail to guide visitors to the waterfront and local destinations. The session was held at a local brewery from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and proved to be a highly successful event.
Encouraging collaboration and discourse among community members.
As neighbors connected over a beer, they had the opportunity to identify locations along the Blue Greenway and streets in their neighborhood for installing wayfinding signage. I provided printed maps of the area, and residents marked pathways and highlighted important local destinations. With minimal oversight and guidance, I stepped back to allow neighbors to engage with each other and discuss potential sites for the Blue Greenway signage. More neighbors showed up than anticipated, and community members left asking for more sessions. Not only did I recieve valuable feedback, but I managed to gather new supporters for the Blue Greenway.
Implementation!
Once community input had been gathered and beers had been consumed, it was time to create and install the signs at street corners. The first neighborhood selected for installation was DogpatchPotrero Hill, where residents had shown great enthusiasm for the signs. Many new park projects and housing developments along the Blue Greenway were centered in this area. Each community member was invited to hang a sign at an intersection of their choice, often selecting locations near their homes or favorite destinations, such as restaurants, cafés, or other local gathering spots.
Quick, easy, fun, and inclusive engagement!
The signs began attracting attention within minutes of being installed. Made of coroplast material, they were easy to install and remove. Each sign featured information about four nearby parks and public spaces along the Blue Greenway, along with time estimates for walking or cycling to each location. A QR code was also included for those interested in learning more about the initiative. Overall, the signs fostered community engagement and raised awareness for the Blue Greenway. Additional signs were installed later, demonstrating that this low-cost, low-risk, high-reward intervention is an effective way to conduct outreach.
