Check out the cool POPOS!

Have you heard of POPOS? Turns out they’ve been around for forty years! But what are they and why are we talking about them here?

As part of our nature.city.cool initiative, we’re exploring projects and initiatives that have improved communities and the natural environment. POPOS are a great example! Let us know what you think by leaving your comments below. And share your views on our nature.city.cool polls!

POPOS are “privately-owned public open spaces”. This is the term used in San Francisco’s 1985 Downtown Plan. Before that, new developments in downtown San Francisco – as in many other cities – included open spaces as part of their projects. In some cases, this was simply because they chose to do this as part of their design. More often, it was in exchange for a density bonus or as part of a development negotiation. San Francisco’s Downtown Plan gave this process a name and consistent procedures.

I recently visited some of the San Francisco POPOS, with an excellent “Cityscapes and Public Spaces” tour led by David of San Francisco City Guides. It was fascinating to explore the history of these spaces and to visit some I hadn’t known existed.

Give Me Some Examples

At 350 Bush, a fairly new project includes SF history as well as several POPOS. Developed in 2018, the project retains the historic façade of the “San Francisco Curb Exchange” a 1923 building that was originally the San Francisco Mining Exchange. Today the new building behind this façade houses 360,000 square feet of office space and a recreated mining exchange floor and museum. There is a small POPOS at ground level. But the really cool POPOS is inside, through the Mining Exchange Museum. It’s a public space with a modern design and furnishings.  Considering the seasons when San Francisco can be chilly and foggy, an indoor public space makes a lot of sense.  More details about the restoration can be found on the website of the Heller-Manus architectural firm.

The second POPOS is for the opposite sort of weather – when the skies are bright blue and the Bay is sparkling. This is the Sky Terrace at 343 Sansome. The original building was built in 1908 and designed by John Galen Howard, the founder of the U.C. School of Architecture. In 1990, a development combined several parcels and structures, including this historic building, and created the current building, which has 305,000 square feet of office as well as retail. Take the elevator to the 15^th floor. Then walk outside to a marvelous rooftop terrace with views of the City, the Bay and Oakland. Kendall/Heaton Associates provides additional details.

The last POPOS I’m highlighting today actually predates the 1985 plan. It’s the Redwood Park at 600 Montgomery, built as part of the Transamerica Pyramid project in 1972. At ground level and outside, the park includes redwoods that have now grown to a nice height to provide shade, as well as fountains, art and seating. It offers a calming respite in the midst of the Financial District. Today, the Transamerica Pyramid is an iconic part of the San Francisco skyline. But I remember the controversy when it was under construction – people thought it was too tall and not appropriate for The City. The park was an asset when it first opened, and remains so now.

These are just three of the 78 POPOS cataloged by the San Francisco Planning Department. Check out all of them, and the public art they contain, with this map and list; or take a look online.

What’s Sustainable And Cool About This?

Do these POPOS contribute to San Francisco’s sustainability? Both 350 Bush and 343 Sansome proudly showcase that they are LEED buildings (350 Bush is Gold and 343 Sansome is Platinum). The trees and other plantings at the Sky Terrace and Redwood Park give a very urban downtown some shade, cooling and a connection to nature. Reinventing the buildings in a major regional employment center retains (or adds) opportunities for people to work near home; commute by walking, biking or taking transit; and support local businesses and restaurants before or after work. It allows businesses to locate where there is already infrastructure, instead of on exurban greenfield sites.

These POPOS also do two things that strengthen San Francisco’s identity. First, they preserve and provide new ways to interpret San Francisco’s history and culture. Second, they add new, memorable and cool places that are part of what residents, employees and visitors love about their experience here. I believe this supports sustainability by enhancing the community’s long-term desirability and appeal to residents, businesses and investors.

Yes, I know … San Francisco is already one of the most unique and memorable cities in the United States. And the economics of the Bay Area – its high cost of living and the tech industry’s economic power – will play a much larger role than POPOS in determining whether San Francisco is sustainable over the coming decades. But they offer an appealing and practical example of a detail that makes a difference.

But Does It Translate?

What can other communities learn from the San Francisco POPOS? Here are six possibilities.

1. San Francisco’s 1985 Downtown Plan created consistency and common expectations for the development community about the role open spaces play in their projects. That sort of certainty is important for both developers and neighborhoods.
2. POPOS provide access to open spaces, nature, and art in places where this would not otherwise exist. Since they are on private property, there are limitations on when they are available. But that seems a reasonable trade-off, particularly in situations where public sector resources aren’t available for parks and open spaces.
3. These unique places give residents, employees and visitors new opportunities to meet, relax and come together – all important for strengthening their connection with the community. And the more unusual, the better! They connect with local nature, culture and identity is a way that ‘standard’ parks can’t.
4. While these spaces must all be publicly accessible (during business hours), they aren’t always easy to find. Though there are required signs, these aren’t always obvious. If your community has (or decides to create) a similar program, it’s a good idea to make these sites easy to find and access.
5. Not all POPOS are places where people want to be, or places designed sustainably.  Another POPOS we visited was simply a paved space with no shade or seating – definitely not inviting! Design requirements are essential to creating a space people will actually use and value.
6. There is information online about all the POPOS, including an interactive map that shows where all 78 of them are located. Public activities and events at individual sites, as well as tours or events that link multiple sites, can increase awareness and enjoyment of these spaces.

Sometimes the lesser-known places in a community are its ‘hidden gems’, the special spots that locals love and that become memorable discoveries for visitors.  Creating, enhancing and sharing these hidden gems means more places that are cool and sustainable for the future.

What’s Your Experience?

Are there San Francisco POPOS you love (or ones you despise)? Are there similar places in other communities that are the ‘hidden gems’ of your experience? Share your experiences on our nature.city.cool polls!

Want to know more about these places and this program? Leave your comments below.