A Green and Clean San Francisco

By Gavin Newsom

http://www.gavinnewsom.com/issues.html

Green and clean neighborhoods are essential to the quality of life, economic development, social fabric, and environmental health of San Francisco. As Mayor, I will lead city government, businesses, and community groups to support innovative projects that will make San Francisco streets and public places vibrant and healthy. Together, we will make San Francisco a green and clean city, a polished jewel all residents will be proud to call home.

As Mayor of San Francisco, I will:

1. Grow our urban canopy by placing a priority on tree planting and care. My plan will focus on four key elements:

• Funding: I will ensure adequate and reliable funding for tree planting and maintenance,through both public and private sources.
• Coordination: I will enhance the authority of the Urban Forest Council to develop an urban forest plan that will coordinate the multiple tree planting and maintenance programs in the city.
• Education: I will create a proactive program to educate the public about the value of the urban forest and provide tools for private individuals and organizations to plant trees in San Francisco.
• Smart Planting: I will create a smart strategy to plant the right trees and ensure that they are cared for.

3. Encourage creation of benefit assessment districts that empower property owners to revitalize their neighborhood streets.

4. Support innovative uses of technology such as CitiStat, ParkScan, and StreetFacts to better evaluate and improve public and private efforts to reforest and beautify our city.

5. Clean our streets through a focus on street sweeping and legislation that will help eliminate graffiti and better regulate street banners. Livable neighborhoods with a vibrant street life will stimulate our economic life as well. Imagine Van Ness Avenue as a beautiful, tree-lined and landscaped boulevard through the heart of the city. Visualize 19th Avenue as a welcoming, beautiful gateway through the city, lined with trees and planters. Envision strolling your neighborhood under the canopy of your neighborhood urban forest. The "City That Knows How" can make this vision a reality.

A GREEN AND CLEAN SAN FRANCISCO

San Franciscans know we live in the most beautiful city in the world, a jewel on the edge of the Golden Gate. But for too long, our city leaders have neglected to polish that jewel. We have not created enough opportunities to plant trees, flowers and other greenery in our public spaces. We also have allowed trash, graffiti, and blight to mar our treasured neighborhoods. As Mayor of San Francisco, I will lead city government and community organizations to make San Francisco a city we can take pride in - a city with green, clean, and livable neighborhoods.

Because the collective behavior of pedestrians, motorists, building managers, merchants, private residents, and city employees all impact the livability of our streets and sidewalks, responsibility to make San Francisco green, clean, and beautiful lies with a wide range of individuals and organizations, in addition to city government. As Mayor, I will partner with community organizations, nonprofits, the business community and residents to improve San Francisco's quality of life. Specifically, I will:

• Grow our urban canopy by placing a priority on tree planting and care.

• Create a streetscaping program to focus public and private resources on landscaping targeted commercial areas.

• Encourage creation of benefit assessment districts that empower property owners to revitalize their neighborhood streets.

• Support innovative uses of technology such as CitiStat, ParkScan, and StreetFacts to better evaluate and improve public and private efforts to reforest and beautify our city.

• Clean our streets through a focus on street sweeping and legislation that will help eliminate graffiti and better regulate street banners.

GROW OUR URBAN CANOPY

Street and park trees provide tremendous benefits to cities. Trees are the lungs of the city that capture air pollution, reduce carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. Trees capture stormwater runoff polluted with lead, mercury, oil and grease, keeping it out of the Bay. They provide shelter for birds and other wildlife. They provide privacy, help to reduce noise and glare, and increase property values. The sight, sound, smell, and touch of plants can help reduce the stress of urban life. And research has shown that crime is reduced in neighborhoods with extensive street tree plantings and well-landscaped parks. When they are chosen wisely and consistently, trees can also provide identity to a street, giving people another kind of mental map for navigating the city.

Historically, San Franciscans have not valued street trees as much as other communities have. Few native trees covered the landscape when San Francisco was founded. Our city's mild, foggy climate limited the need for summer shade. The trees chosen for major urban forestation initiatives in the past, specifically the blue gum eucalyptus and Monterey Cypress, are poorly suited for streetscaping. We often seek to avoid blocking expansive views with trees and sometimes remove trees due to sidewalk damage, leaf debris, and new construction and remodeling projects.

San Francisco lags behind other communities in providing a vital, vibrant and ecologically sustainable urban canopy, as well as open space in the city. San Francisco has an estimated 90,000 street trees. By comparison, the City of San Jose boasts 231,000 street trees. Our urban canopy is full of holes: Friends of the Urban Forest estimates we have only 75 street trees per mile, compared to the national average of 120 trees per mile. That means San Francisco has a little more than half the street trees of similarly sized cities.

Responsibility for tree care along city streets is a mix of city and private functions, which leads to confusion over who should care for which trees. Over a dozen agencies have some landscaping function in San Francisco, including the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Department of Recreation and Parks (Rec and Park), Muni, the Redevelopment Agency, the Planning Department, and the School District. Rec and Park and DPW care for the largest number of trees, with DPW responsible for care of approximately 30,000 (one-third) of San Francisco street trees. Private homeowners and groups such as Friends of the Urban Forest care for most trees on residential streets, while DPW focuses mainly on planting and maintaining trees on major streets.

Another challenge for creating and maintaining a vibrant urban forest in San Francisco is the lack of consistent, reliable funding for street trees. Funding for management of street trees in San Francisco is heavily dependent on the half-cent sales tax authorized by voters in 1989 under Proposition B. Unfortunately, the revenue from the sales tax varies with the economy; when sales are down, less funding is available for trees. Although the Prop B sales tax is up for reauthorization this November as Proposition K, which I fully support, we must also find other funding sources to expand and maintain our urban canopy.

As Mayor of San Francisco I will make revitalization of our urban canopy one of the core goals of my administration. As a world-class city, San Francisco should have a world-class urban forest as an essential element in the economic health and social well being of San Francisco.

I will set the goal of planting 30 city blocks per year with new trees. In four years, San Francisco will have 120 newly forested city blocks providing economic, social, and ecological benefits to our city.

My foremost four goals for greening San Francisco will be:

• FUNDING: I will ensure adequate and reliable funding for tree planting and maintenance, through both public and private sources.

• COORDINATION: I will enhance the authority of the Urban Forest Council to develop an urban forest plan that will coordinate the multiple tree planting and maintenance programs in the city.

• EDUCATION: I will create a proactive program to educate the public about the value of the urban forest and provide tools for private individuals and organizations to plant trees in San Francisco.

• SMART PLANTING:: I will create a smart strategy to plant the right trees and ensure they are cared for.

• Dedicate stable, reliable funding to planting and maintaining street trees to supplement Prop B funds in the city budget. This is particularly important for enhancing the urban forest in low-income neighborhoods such as Bayview Hunters Point, where private funds are less available for tree planting and maintenance.

• Actively apply for public and private grants to improve our urban forest.

• Establish an improvement fund for each Supervisorial district to finance streetscaping, traffic calming, pedestrian safety, utility undergrounding, pocket parks, etc.

The Chicago Gateway Green Expressway Partnership program provides an excellent model for how San Francisco businesses can contribute significantly to cleaning and greening our streets and public spaces. This innovative program recruits businesses to finance beautification of expressways, in partnership with the Chicago Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation.

Unlike conventional "adopt-a-highway" programs that focus only on litter removal, the Expressway Partnership works with landscape architects to create vibrant green spaces that fit with the existing environment and ultimately become sustainable. In three years, the Expressway Partnership has planted over 23,000 bulbs, 15,000 shrubs and mixed perennials, and 500 trees, and has removed over 250,000 pounds of litter from over 80 acres of land.

Financed by private donations and by businesses with a commitment to a green and vibrant city, landscaping crews could beautify and maintain San Francisco thoroughfares, including mowing, pruning, watering, weed control and litter removal. Besides making San Francisco more beautiful, roadside landscaping could help reduce water pollution by absorbing storm runoff, and planted shade trees could provide shade and reduce air and noise pollution.

COORDINATION: I voted in 2001 to create the Urban Forest Council to better coordinate the tree care activities among the various city departments and nonprofit groups. The Urban Forest Council also provides an important forum for the public to weigh in on urban forest issues in San Francisco.

As Mayor, I will strengthen the working partnership between the Urban Forest Council, DPW, the Department of the Environment, Rec and Park, the County Transportation Authority, the Planning Department and Muni to develop a master street tree and sidewalk beautification plan for major city streets and boulevards. I envision this plan will select key streets throughout the city as a network of tree-lined boulevards that accommodates not only motor vehicles but also bicycles and pedestrians. Working with neighbors, property owners, and tenants, we will develop plans for street trees, traffic calming, bulb-outs, and medians.

On residential streets, I will work with neighborhood organizations, residents, and nonprofits such as Friends of the Urban Forest to develop urban forestry plans for the neighborhoods.

I will improve coordination and monitoring of tree planting and maintenance by city departments using CitiStat technology. CitiStat can help us plan, map, and report the location of new tree plantings and status of tree maintenance on a regular basis. CitiStat will help us execute a strategic management plan to improve our urban canopy, rather than just responding to crises as they occur

EDUCATION: As Mayor, I will help citizens plant and maintain trees by providing information prominently on the city's website, as well as through a new 311 customer service number. I will provide San Franciscans with the information they need to plant and maintain trees, information about everything from tree species to regulations and responsibilities associated with tree care.

We can revitalize the community garden program begun by the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners (SLUG) in order to provide urban green spaces, job training opportunities, and healthy foods for low-income San Franciscans.

Finally, I will work with local realtors to develop educational materials that tell new homeowners how to plant and maintain trees on their property.

SMART PLANTING: We will not just plant trees in San Francisco - we will create a smart strategy to plant the right trees and ensure they are cared for the right way.

First, I will strengthen training of city staff in tree care and require all staff with direct tree management responsibility receive the training they need to maintain our urban forest. I will also require those who contract with the city to provide tree care have adequate training to properly maintain our urban canopy.

Next, I will enhance neighborhood identity by planting specific tree species in specific neighborhoods. Dolores Street has its famous palm trees, Market Street has its sycamores, and the Embarcadero was recently planted with Canary Island Palms. We should continue to beautify our neighborhoods by working with neighborhoods to choose trees by street or by neighborhood, rather than by lot or parcel, giving the community pride and instantly recognizable identity.

As Mayor, I will establish and fund a pavement removal and greening program. Working with the Department of the Environment, DPW, and the Department of Building Inspection, I will develop a plan to facilitate permitting and funding to remove pavement from driveways, backyards, and other paved-over areas. I will also work to revise building codes to encourage roof gardens and other green building practices.

I will work with the school district and organizations like San Francisco Beautiful to green some of our most important urban spaces - our schoolyards. The City of Chicago used an innovative combination of federal and local funds to transform paved schoolyards into green lawns at 100 schools over four years. We can do the same in San Francisco. I have already begun the process of greening our schoolyards at the Tule Elk School in District 2, where we have transformed a paved schoolyard into a green play space for children. By the end of my term as Mayor, San Francisco will have hundreds of new tree-lined blocks and new public spaces. We will reduce storm water runoff and improve the health of the bay by increasing the amount of landscaping, trees, and green spaces in San Francisco. Streets in all our neighborhoods will be improved with new trees and greening projects, large and small. Environmentally sustainable building practices will become standard. New public buildings and infrastructure projects will highlight San Francisco's commitment to create an environmentally sustainable city.

STREETSCAPING

As Mayor of San Francisco, I will create a city streetscaping program that will focus public and private resources on beautifying key city streets. Beautiful, vibrant neighborhoods enhance the experience of walking, shopping, working, and living in San Francisco. Inviting streetscapes encourage San Franciscans and visitors to shop in the city, rather than at suburban malls. Creating clean, landscaped neighborhoods is an investment not only in San Francisco's economic development, but also in the social fabric of the city.

My streetscaping program will help make bike and transit use safe and efficient and make neighborhoods more livable by reducing noise, visual clutter (such as utility lines), air pollution, and traffic congestion, and by creating landscaping along our sidewalks and medians such as flower boxes, trees, and planters. Because our city sidewalks contain more open space than all city parks combined, they should be areas where pedestrians can safely enjoy the city, shop, do business, and socialize with fellow San Franciscans.

The Chicago Streetscape Program provides a model for improving neighborhood commercial districts with beautification and infrastructure projects. Run by the Chicago Department of Transportation's Bureau of Bridges and Transit, the program works in partnership with neighborhood aldermen and neighborhood chambers of commerce to select commercial areas and design improvements.

Chicago streetscapes are typically four to six blocks long, and cost between $1.5 million and $4 million to construct. Chicago funds its streetscapes through a combination of local general obligation bond funds, state funds, and federal transportation and Environmental Protection Agency funds. Chicago has undertaken more than 130 streetscape projects since 1989. The program has planted 6,650 trees, rehabilitated 465 blocks of sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, and has installed hundreds of decorative planters throughout the city.2 We can do the same here in San Francisco.

BENEFIT ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS

One of the most powerful tools available to cities to revitalize commercial neighborhoods is the benefit assessment district. A benefit assessment district is formed when property owners in a defined area voluntarily agree to assess themselves additional property tax to finance capital improvements and services that enhance, but do not replace, those provided by the city. Benefit assessment districts typically finance capital improvements (new trees, benches, news kiosks and banners) and services (sidewalk steam cleaning, maintenance of tree planters, graffiti removal and other exterior cleaning services). Many also finance "ambassadors" who offer assistance to tourists and report problems to police, fire and other city departments.

Property owners who care about their neighborhoods have created over 1,500 benefit assessment districts nationwide.3 New York City has almost 50, Los Angeles has five, and Berkeley has three. San Francisco only has one, the Union Square Business Improvement District. As Mayor I will encourage benefit assessment districts to flourish in San Francisco so property owners, businesses and residents can reap the benefits of cleaner, greener, more livable communities.

San Francisco has several innovative models it can follow. Some large benefit assessment districts, such as the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) in Seattle, WA, finance economic development research and marketing activities. These districts often offer employment opportunities for disadvantaged workers, such as formerly homeless individuals and those making the transition from welfare to work. Benefit assessment districts in Portland, OR, Philadelphia, PA and New York City finance community court programs, which adjudicate non-violent misdemeanor offenses, administer community service sentences, and connect offenders and other community members with social service programs.

San Francisco can do more to help local property owners organize benefit assessment districts. Like the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, and San Diego, we can explore providing seed money to cover startup costs. Seed money can come from several sources, including the city general fund, redevelopment funds, federal Community Development Block Grants, and foundation money. San Diego allows special assessment districts to leverage additional city matching funds for specific improvements in the assessment area.

Like San Diego's Office of Small Business, San Francisco could assist with market assessments, sales tax revenue assessments, business plans, property owner assistance, retail recruiting, and database collection to measure neighborhood economic activity. San Francisco should provide similar assistance to neighborhoods whose residents and businesses wish to make their streets cleaner and more livable.

TECHNOLOGY

Enterprising San Franciscans are already using smart technology to improve accountability for keeping our community clean and vibrant. The City should support programs that empower residents and community groups to make our city green and livable. For example, the Neighborhood Parks Council recently launched their ParkScan program, which helps neighborhood volunteers collect electronic data about the condition of their local parks and communicate that information to the Recreation and Park Department to help keep our parks clean and safe.

The Clean City Coalition and Chamber of Commerce are developing a street survey program called StreetFacts that will empower community volunteers to regularly collect information about litter, graffiti, trees, and other facets of street maintenance, and use that information to strategize with DPW and business leaders to improve street maintenance. I was proud to cosponsor a resolution urging the city to support this valuable program.

I am already working with the Department of Telecommunications and Information Services to develop CitiStat technology that will provide real-time evaluation of delivery of city services such as street cleaning and park maintenance, so city government can use its resources efficiently to create a more livable San Francisco. As Mayor of San Francisco, I will support innovative programs like ParkScan and StreetFacts, and develop a CitiStat program that complements these outstanding private-sector programs created by innovative San Franciscans.

CLEAN OUR STREETS

One of my top priorities as Mayor will be to help residents and businesses revitalize our neighborhood merchant corridors. Instead of streets littered with trash, graffiti, and dilapidated buildings, San Francisco can and should have vital communities with clean sidewalks that include trees, flowers, and vibrant storefronts.

I will make street sweeping and maintenance a top priority of my administration. I will ensure DPW has the resources and leadership it needs to scrub our world-famous streets and neighborhoods and keep them clean. I will also strengthen our Adopt-A-Street program to give property owners, residents, and merchants the tools they need to take responsibility for keeping their sidewalks and storefronts clean.

The DPW currently operates a graffiti abatement program that removes graffiti from public property, as well as from private property with the consent of the owner. It can color-match paint to help property owners keep their buildings looking good. In addition to DPW crews, the District Attorney's office runs pre-trial diversion programs that allow certain non-violent offenders to work off their sentences by removing trash and graffiti throughout the city.

However, San Franciscans need stronger tools to get more graffiti off our streets. DPW can't remove all of San Francisco's graffiti . While many property owners are quick to remove graffiti from their properties, others fail to do so. Allowing graffiti to remain on buildings invites more graffiti, makes our neighborhoods appear unsafe, and encourages increased crime.

In order to help reduce graffiti in San Francisco, I have developed legislation that will toughen enforcement against property owners who allow graffiti to blight our neighborhoods. My legislation will provide property owners with a warning and a two-week grace period to remove graffiti on their buildings, after which DPW will cite owners who fail to remove the graffiti. In addition, I will work with DPW to support development of a program to recruit community volunteers to keep their neighborhoods trash- and graffiti-free.

In response to San Franciscans' concerns about the proliferation of poorly regulated banners on our neighborhood light poles, I have introduced legislation at the Board of Supervisors that will help ensure banners are installed and maintained in a way that beautifies our neighborhoods, instead of increasing blight. My legislation will create five categories of permitted banners, including neighborhood, special event, and convention banners. It will prohibit installation of banners in residential districts, better regulate their use in certain commercial districts, and require all banners to include the name and phone number of the installer. These common-sense reforms will help ensure banners are used to beautify commercial areas and inform residents without becoming tattered eyesores.

CONCLUSION

Clean and livable neighborhoods are essential to the quality of life, economic development, social fabric, and ecological health of San Francisco. As Mayor, I will lead city government, businesses, and community groups to support innovative projects that will make San Francisco streets and public places vibrant again. Together, we will make San Francisco a green and clean city, a polished jewel all residents will be proud to call home.

SOURCES

"Best Practices for a Clean, Green, and Safe City: Public-Private Partnerships." San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. July 29, 2003.

Chicago Gateway Green Partnership. http://www.gatewaygreen.org "Creating Livable Streets: Street Design Guidelines." Metro. Portland, OR. June 2002.

Destination Downtown: Streetscape Investments for a Walkable City. Planning Department,City and County of San Francisco. July 13, 1995.

"Green Streets: Innovative Solutions for Stormwater and Stream Crossings." Metro. Portland, OR. June 2002.

"Mayor Daley, City Officials Dedicate Clark Street Streetscape." Office of Mayor Richard Daley. December 21, 2002.

San Francisco Sustainability Plan, 1996

State of the Urban Forest - Final Report, San Francisco, California. HortScience, Inc. May 2001.

"Trees for Green Streets:An Illustrated Guide." Metro. Portland, OR. June 2002.

"Trees for San Francisco: A Guide to Street-Tree Planting and Care." Friends of the Urban Forest. 1995.

Van de Water, Adam. "Business Improvement Districts." San Francisco Board of Supervisors Legislative Analyst. January 30, 2003.