Parks Bond 2008
The 2008 Parks Bond which provided $195 million in bond funding for deferred maintenance in San Francisco’s Park system. San Francisco Beautiful advocated for this Bond passage and supports more funding (Bond and General Funds) for parks.
Newsracks
In 1992, San francisco Beautiful established a taskforce that included publishers, community groups, DPW, and the City Attorneys to forge a plan that would eliminate the clutter and hazards of unmitigated newsracks while preserving the publications right to sell papers. The City instituted a pilot program which resulted in the development of a pedestal mounted […]
Housing Element
SF Beautiful worked with the City and others to ensure that development that arose from the 2009 Housing Element was balanced. SF Beautiful’s position was that development must take into account San francisco’s unique “urban villages” and neighborhood character.
Historic Preservation Commission
San Francisco Beautiful helped establish the Historic Preservation Commission in The Historic Preservation Commission is responsible for identifying and designating San Francisco landmarks and buildings and for reviewing applications for Certificates of Appropriateness for alterations, site improvements and new construction.
Green Schoolyards
SF Beautiful initiated the Green Schoolyards Alliance (now known as Education Outside). The Alliance led the successful campaign to secure nearly $14 million in city bond funding to design and construct green schoolyards at 84 public schools throughout San Francisco—one of the largest green schoolyards systems of any school district in the country.
Graffiti Legislation
SF Beautiful wrote the 1991 legislation establishing the Neighborhood Beautification and Graffiti Cleanup Fund (now known and the Community Challenge Grant) which provides small grants to community projects. Proposition D passed by a wide margin. Part of the grant included providing neighbors with Graffiti Defense kits for cleaning and painting over graffiti. In 1994, San Francisco Beautiful […]
Embarcadero Freeway
For 30 years Friedel and San Francisco Beautiful fought local and state planners, and legislators tempted by federal funds to build freeways throughout the City – specifically along the Northern Waterfront, the Embarcadero, and through Golden Gate Park. From the January 2, 1969 Planning Commission meeting minutes: Mrs. Klussman replied that she believed that the waterfront […]
Clean Green and Safe Budget
In 2014, San Francisco Beautiful advocated for the passage of the Clean Green and Safe Budget. Over time, the City’s budget investment in basic cleaning, greening, and safety services for parks, streets, and other public spaces has been dramatically reduced. With the passage of the Clean Green and Safe budget package the City will begin reversing […]
Cable Cars
In 1947, our founder, Friedel Klussmann, organized the Citizens Committee to Save the Cable Cars, fought back many threats through the years to curtail or abolish the system and finally in 1971 led the successful Proposition Q ballot initiative for the City Charter amendment freezing the minimum cable car service at the levels provided for as of July of that year.
Billboards
SF Beautiful has long worked to limit the presence of billboards, general advertising, and other visual pollution throughout the city. We pass and enforce legislation to limit, reduce, and regulate billboards, and general advertising.