Baseline Services: Existing services provided by another entity, such as the City of San Francisco.

BID: Business Improvement District

Bulb out: An extension of the sidewalk into the roadway, typically at a street corner to increase pedestrian visibility and reduce crossing distances.

Capital Improvements: A permanent improvement or restoration of some aspect of property that will enhance the property’s usability or value.

Capital Maintenance: Facility upgrades, or repair and replacement of materials (fixtures, etc.) for upkeep of public spaces.

CBD: Refers to a Community Benefit District. Under San Francisco’s CBD program, communities may voted to establish a special district, in which local property owners are levied a special assessment to fund improvements to their neighborhood. The funds are administered by a non-profit organization established by the neighborhood.

Daily Maintenance: Activities performed throughout a daily or weekly cycle for upkeep of a public space. Examples include cleaning, tending to plants, washing, graffiti abatement, litter pickup, etc.

GBD: Refers to a Green Benefit District. A GBD is a new type of special assessment district designed to facilitate community investment in green infrastructure, such as tree-lined streets, parks, and gardens. GBDs are similar to CBDs, and they are authorized under the same state legal frameworks. GBDs are specifically geared towards residential rather than commercial districts, and they are focused on the management of neighborhood open spaces.

Green Infrastructure: The use of vegetation and landscaping to mimic natural processes. May be used to manage storm water or clean air of particulate matter.

Hardscape: Impermeable materials, such as sidewalks, pavers, pavement, and concrete.

Inspect: Assess functionality and use of an amenity in the public realm in order to determine any shortcomings or defaults.

LIZ: Living Innovation Zone

Management of public space: Operations, maintenance, and activation.

MOU: Memorandum of Understanding: an agreement that details the roles and responsibilities between two or more parties.

OEWD: San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Operations: Dealing with the coordination and resources needed to perform the services required to maintain public spaces.

Public Realm: Any publicly-owned, permanently-accessible property, including streets, pathways, rights-of-way, parks, parklets, playgrounds, and open spaces.

Parklet: A temporary installation to repurpose part of the roadway into a pedestrian amenity.

Plaza: A public open space. May be a trial, demonstration space created from the temporary closure of ROW (through Pavement to Parks); or permanently and legally designated open space that is not within RPD lands.

Pocket Park: A small park, generally occupying an irregular piece of land or an unimproved piece of the public realm.

Programming & Activation: The events, activities, and recreation that occurs within public spaces.

POPOS: Privately-owned public open spaces. Publicly accessible spaces in forms of plazas, terraces, atriums, small parks etc. that are provided and maintained by private developers.

Public Works: San Francisco Public Works

Repair: Fix or mend an amenity to restore functionality and safety.

Replace: To take the place of an amenity that is broken or damaged beyond repair.

ROW: Right-of-Way, of the space between buildings that includes roadway and sidewalks.

RPD: San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department

Service Frequencies: A determination of inspection intervals needed to keep public space amenities in functional and safe condition.

Softscape: Permeable surfaces including Greening elements (plants, trees, grass, other greenery, porous concrete, woodchips, etc.)

Special and General Benefits: Special benefit is a particular and distinct benefit over and above what is currently provided by the City of San Francisco. General benefit accrues to the public at large.

Streetscape Standards: Design standards adopted by Public Works.

Unaccepted Streets: Designated publicly accessible rights-of-way that do not meet the City’s standards for street design and construction. Unaccepted streets and their amenities, fixtures, and capital improvements are not maintained by Public Works, but by a variety of private entities.

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Use Level Definitions

When using the tools on this site, it will be helpful to establish a sense of the use levels associated with hardscape and softscape elements of your public space. The use level definitions below are intended to be a helpful framework, within which you should expect some variation. You may find that use level for your public space varies by season. Or, that the  use levels for hardscape and softscape may not be the same. For example, your public space may have heavy use in hardscape areas, but light use for softscape.