In 2006, San Francisco Beautiful recognized Octavia Boulevard with a Beautification Award. Octavia Boulevard is a wide and leafy open expanse where cars people and plants coexist. Physically, the arrangement of traffic lanes, parking lanes, medians and parks is unprecedented in San Francisco. It resembles the best boulevards in Europe, but they are rare even there. It was made possible by an act of nature—the Loma Prieta earth quake of 1989. And it was made feasible by local activism—San Franciscans working with Caltrans and DPW. The layout of Octavia Boulevard is the result of years of collaboration between neighbors, volunteers, advocates, consultants and city staff. It has beautified a neighborhood for those who live there and for commuters passing through it
For more than 40 years, San Francisco Beautiful has been honoring San Franciscans who make special contributions to the unique character and beauty of our City with the Annual Beautification Awards.