Salesforce Park is in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It’s built on top of a transit center, four stories off the ground. This premise was enough to convince me to visit when I was in the city on vacation last month. Having to enter using an elevator or escalator is a little weird, but it was really cool to be in an elevator as it ascended to the top floor and I was met with a wave of greenery. Upon exiting the elevator, there’s a large rock with words engraved in it: “All are welcome.”
The park covers four city blocks. My first impression as I walked through the space was one of wonder. The slate building material and green plants popped against each other. It felt solarpunk, if anything with a company’s name on it can be called punk. I particularly enjoyed the fountains that activated as buses drove underneath them. I don’t generally like being around skyscrapers; they make me feel like the sky is pushing down on me. In that space, though, the feeling was alleviated.
I didn’t feel ready to leave after my first circuit, so I started another, and with it, I began to feel some unease. Something was wrong. Did I not like the space just because the name of a company was on it? No. I didn’t like the company name, but that was silly.
At the end of my second lap, I noticed the benches. I’d seen them on my first go around, but hadn’t taken a close look. All of them were fixed to the ground, unable to be moved. They were either only large enough to fit one person, or had an armrest directly in the center. Classic infrastructure deterring unhoused folks from sticking around, but with the side effect of preventing any groups who might want to sit together from doing so.
Though the sign at the entrance to Salesforce Park welcomed everyone, the space did not. Which was to be believed? Curious, I stopped to read the park rules more directly. A number of perfectly reasonable park activities were prohibited: throwing balls and frisbees, playing sports, walking dogs. Who exactly was this space welcoming to? It felt more like a diorama at a museum than a park.
I visited a lot of parks during my week in San Francisco, and each was unique, from the layouts to the people at each, to the views. They were welcoming spaces, and there were always people around, walking dogs, running, talking with others.
I’m still not sure who Salesforce Park space is for. The views are nice, but the seating isn’t comfortable. Though there’s a restaurant under construction and an amphitheater, the space closes at 8 pm, early enough in the night that people aren’t ready to go home. There are at least two apartment buildings visible from the space, but as another friend told me, having to walk up the stairs to a park makes it feel out of the way.
I like the concept of the park, but it requires refinement. Maybe adding more kid-friendly paving instead of the hard stone. Benches that are comfortable to sit on for more than one person. Things which actually create a space where everyone is welcome, as just because someone says it doesn’t mean that it’s true.
