After the elevated Embarcadero Freeway collapsed during the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the City and County of San Francisco saw an opportunity to rebuild the ground level Embarcadero roadway from Mission Bay to Fisherman's Wharf as a popular pedestrian boulevard with surface rail through this urban design study that integrated four separate roadway and transit initiatives for the waterfront.

The elevated Embarcadero Freeway hindered business along the historic working waterfront in San Francisco until it collapsed during the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Seeing an opportunity to rebuild the ground level Embarcadero roadway from Mission Bay to Fisherman's Wharf as a popular pedestrian boulevard with surface rail, the City and County of San Francisco combined resources into a single urban design study that integrated four separate roadway and transit initiatives for the waterfront.

Architectural innovation created value by valuing people and place.

With ZGF Architects as the lead designer, a team led by Bechtel considered the increasingly diverse uses of the Embarcadero and made recommendations in the form of urban design goals, guidelines, criteria, art proposals and general plans.

By extending the light rail and historic streetcar lines along the boulevard as an economic umbilical cord between Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf, an integrated boulevard responded to the special needs of port activities and assisted in the renaissance of existing and developing uses on the landward side of the street.

The design improved connections between the downtown and a working waterfront by promoting the street alignment and design elements that brought the best out of both environments.

Thoroughfare safety, traffic efficiency and pedestrian experience through paving, transit station, furnishing, lighting and waterfront design. The rationale for cobblestone failed, but a patterned concrete with much the same visual and physical effect succeeded.

After demolition of the ill-fated freeway, construction work began in July 1993 on the parkway and F-line rail extension. More than 100 acres of land along the waterfront and the adjacent financial district that had once been dominated by the elevated freeway gave way to a new public plaza, the waterfront promenade, the renovated Ferry Building, the historic streetcar line along the waterfront, and a new high-density residential neighborhood which added more than 5,000 units of housing.

Rail service to Fisherman's Wharf finally began on March 4, 2000.

Responsibilities

Responsible for thesis making, research, field survey, concept planning and phase of capital improvements program. Created design details and guidelines for integration of vehicular, transit and pedestrian circulation that MUNI transit adopted and applied on a broader urban scale.

Role: Landscape Architect

Setting: ZGF Architects, Bechtel Corporation - Urban Design & Planning

Location: San Francisco, California

Year: 1989