Do you have a great idea to make Market Street better, but don’t have the time to develop a competition submission? Then put your idea into words and share it with others here. This is your chance to contribute bold ideas that can help shape a more vibrant and connected community along this iconic San Francisco corridor

Community Input Form Responses

These written suggestions were collected in order to easily share ideas about the future of Market Street, but do not qualify as official entries. To submit an official entry to the competition that meets all the requirements and is eligible for a prize, please register here.

Contributions have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Create distinctive evening lighting for each major district …

Market Street’s current lighting tends to produce a uniform blandness overall. Why not orchestrate a different intensity and style of lighting experience by location? For example, the theater district could be entirely lit by neon. Other areas could use displays at Times Square light levels to highlight market or sports information and, if desirable, produce advertising revenue. This also could help with safety and wayfinding at night. – Suzanna

Double down on parades with a cause …

Attract frequent large parades to Market Street that promote humanitarian causes around the world. Parades could connect with the Port of San Francisco and the nearby docks and warehouses for the collection and global distribution of food, medicine, and water for humanitarian aid. – Bruce 

Add mature, uniform street trees please …

It is hard to think of any great urban boulevard that doesn’t have them. This would also help shift the perception of the street as being too wide. – Elizabeth

Create a new attraction …

Use the former Westfield Center property to create a unique museum honoring the unsung heroes from around the world. It could be a tremendous new educational attraction in partnership with San Francisco Unified School District and be achieved by repurposing the significant amount of space in the Westfield property that SFUSD controls. And with the cable car turntable right across the street from this location, it would also be a magnet for tourists as well as businesses new and old. – Allen

Recruit unique, small scale, street facing activities …

Strategically locate an assortment of lower rent spaces along Market Street that are affordable for small independent shops, artists, makers, services, and other storefront endeavors that create visual character and bring increased pedestrian activity. – Eric

Make Market Street a really slow street …

Rather than trying to optimize the roadway just for transit, optimize for everybody – streetcars, pedestrians, bike riders, taxis, delivery vehicles and even cars – by slowing everything down and removing the buses. For example, Zurich does this without even having bike lanes since everything is moving safely slower, but with increased rail transit frequency. Streetcars still have priority right-of-way but on a smoother, calmer, bike and pedestrian friendly road surface. – Rachel

Blend living, working, and entertainment uses …

The main problem with Market Street is that it has no focal point or vibe at all. Rather than pursue ideas that only bring episodic activity like a sports stadium, a good way to completely reimagine the street is by borrowing urban templates from other cities that successfully blend living, working, and entertainment activities like Denver’s 16th Street Promenade or New York’s Hudson Yards. – John

Use the tracks for more than commuting …

Create a series of unique San Francisco experiences for residents and visitors alike by deploying special railcars in the evenings and on the weekends. There are numerous successful examples operating this model elsewhere, from Milan’s Aperitivo Tram (happy hour), to the Paris Soirée Bus (dance party on board), to the Brussels Tram Experience (fine dining). – Catherine

 Move to a four-day work week …

Bring back public activity to Market Street and Union Square shopping by adopting a four-day work week with Fridays fully free to enjoy downtown and other parts of the city. This would make working and living in San Francisco much more active and pleasurable. – James