The San Francisco board of Supervisors designated a 19-block section south of Market Street as a Redevelopment Area. After years of delays and setbacks, San Francisco artistic and community groups gathered to collect information about practical needs and cultural aspirations. Developed with extensive community involvement, the Yerba Buena project planned to put much of the convention center underground while providing low-income housing and cultural and open space. Mayor Dianne Feinstein and the SFRA issued an invitation to developers worldwide to “create…in the heart of one of the world’s great cities, an environment in the form of a magnificent urban garden…” The 87 acres of Yerba Buena Center include the area from Market to Harrison and Second to Fourth Streets. Within these blocks are Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Children’s Creativity Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 5.5 acres of urban gardens, the Moscone Convention Center, entertainment centers, art galleries, and countless restaurants and cafés. The community’s determination to ensure that the Yerba Buena Project would preserve and foster popular culture resulted in Yerba Buena Gardens Festival; the focus on ethnic diversity reflects the values and cultures of our community. 1953
Late 1970s
1980
Today
