Annual Events

The Friends of City Planning hosts an annual fund-raising event which is intended to be a community party celebrating important and innovative efforts in Planning throughout the City.

At this party, the entire City Planning Department is invited, as well as residents interested in planning and the members of the development, planning and architectural community. The event is one that folks love to attend because the spirit is high, the food is good, the bar is full, there is music, and all the old friends and colleagues get to visit with one another once again.

The purpose of the event is two-fold. First, to raise funds for the annual grants to the Planning Department in the areas of staff development, community outreach and technological enhancement, all of which are not funded through the general fund and are particularly needed by the Department of City Planning. The Friends makes an enormous effort to make certain that the party is financially successful in order to provide funds for the following year’s grants.

The second goal is to make certain that we remain in touch with the planning efforts going on throughout the City both on a grassroots level as well as on a city-wide level. As a result, each year, we choose a timely theme which highlights current issues and actions being articulated in the planning field.

For information on our upcoming fundraiser, you may contact:

Lisa Wong, Ron Wong and Associates
Events Management
(415) 665-1150 x1

2008

Focus: "The Power of One"

Highlighted:

• Jim Chappell (SPUR)
• Jane Martin (Shotwell Greenway)
• Simon Snellgrove (Pacific Waterfront Partners, LLC)
• Lou Vasquez & Loring Sagan (Homes on Esprit Park)
• Gillian Gillett (Greening of Guerrero)

2007

Focus: “San Francisco, a Home for Families”

Highlighted:

• The Exploratorium (education)
• Yerba Buena Gardens
• Health Care for all San Francisco Children
• Holy Family Day (childcare)
• Rich Sorro Commons (low/moderate family housing rental)
• 888 -- 7th Street (affordable home ownership for families)
• Childcare Central -- (coordinates the development of child care facilities)

2006

Focus: “The Creative Equation” High levels of Tolerance + Diversity + Talent -- a creative environment (leads to) a dynamic economy

Highlighted (New Arts Facilities):

• ODC -- new dance studios (Mission)
• Conservatory of Music (Civic Center)
• Museum of Craft and Folk Art (YBC)
• The Museum of the African Diaspora (YBC)
• Lucas Films (Presidio)
• deYoung Museum (Golden Gate Park)
• Kanbar Center Performance Space (Richmond)

2005

Focus: “Revitalizing our Historic Resources”

Highlighted:

• Stern Grove renovation
• Arion Press adaptive reuse of an industrial relic
• National Register nomination of Port properties
• Globe Insurance Company conversion to modern condominiums
• Rehabilitation of Julia Morgan's historic YMCA and conversion to the museum, of the Chinese Historical Society
• Ambassador Hotel restoration and conversion to a hotel housing he disabled and homeless
• Survey of Historic Resources of the Central Waterfront by the Planning Department

Note: The theme was particularly important in 2005 for it was our first event in the Historic Julia Morgan Ballroom of the Historic Merchants Exchange.

2004

Focus: “Diversity in Housing, Diversity in Needs”

Highlighted:

• Habitat for Humanity providing home ownership opportunities for low/moderate income families
• Dudley Hotel highlighting supportive housing
• 1 Church Street -- classic workforce housing (rental)
• Progress Foundation providing homes for persons and families with mental illness
• KoKoro -- assisted living in a historic synagogue
• City Planning -- Design Guidelines
• The Metropolitan -- market rate, high density, high rise in downtown San Francisco
• Fulton & Masonic -- infill condominiums with retail on ground floor and inclusionary units

2003

Focus: “Transportation, Transportation, Transportation, the 3 T’s”

Highlighted:

• Muni 3rd Street Rail Project with special emphasis on the artistic stops
• Market Street Railway and the Historic Trolleys
• The Bike Coalition's City-Wide bike network plan
• Water Transportation Plan for Ferries and Water Taxis
• Planning Department’s Role in Octavia Boulevard and th Balboa station and historic renovation
• City Car Share

2002

Focus: “Neighborhoods 2002 -- Yes, in my Back Yard”

Highlighted:

• Pioneer Park restoration
• Shriner's Hospital historic restoration and conversion to an assisted living facility
• Visitation Valley open space using utility rights of way
• State of the Art Episcopal Housing for homeless families