Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bicycle Infrastructure

Jan Gehl Says San Francisco Must be Sweet to Pedestrians and Cyclists

jan-and-gabriel7.jpgIt's a good day in a city's urbanist evolution when Jan Gehl comes to town, and now San Francisco can add itself to the growing list of cities around the world that have embraced his people-first approach to urban design and planning.

Hoping to keep pace with the progress in New York City over the past two years, the San Francisco Planning Department has commissioned Gehl Architects to transform several prominent streets and public spaces in the city, starting with one of the busiest tourist attractions in the U.S., Fisherman's Wharf. 

On Tuesday night, in front of a
standing-room audience of special guests at Pier One's Bayside Room,
Gehl presented his general vision for improving San Francisco's public realm. The
event, sponsored by Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Planning and
Urban Research (SPUR)
, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Livable
City
, and Walk SF, was the first in the new Great Streets Campaign Speakers Series, which will bring some of the world's most remarkable urban visionaries
to the Bay Area in the coming months to share their successes and offer San
Francisco models for instituting its own vision for a sustainable and healthy city. 

Gehl is in town for a week of presentations to the public, to city agencies, and to merchants' associations. On Wednesday, he will present the results of his firm's Fisherman's Wharf study to the public for the first time. The Planning Department is hopeful that his work will stimulate a larger discussion of the quality of public space among the stakeholders in the area.

John Rahaim, director of the Planning Department, noted that Gehl's work around the world brings a cachet to San Francisco and helps "set the stage to implement pedestrian improvements and demonstration projects on our streets." Rahaim is optimistic that Gehl's work will "start a process to implement the principles of [San Francisco's] Better Streets Plan," the comprehensive new pedestrian and public space plan that is awaiting completion of environmental review.

Gehl was cagey when asked about what San Francisco should do to be more like Copenhagen or Paris, arguing that the study his firm has completed for the Fisherman's Wharf project is only a preliminary analysis and not a proposal. Nevertheless, he argued that if San Francisco wants to be a "lively, attractive, safe and sustainable city [it must] be sweet to its pedestrians, sweet to its cyclists."

Photo of Jan Gehl and SPUR Executive Director Gabriel Metcalf by Matthew Roth

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Shutdown Showdown: Trump Blames Democrats for Transit Cuts In His Continuing War on Cities, ‘Woke’

It's the second time in as many days that the Trump administration has denied funding over policies it opposes.

October 1, 2025

Marcus Molinaro Is Wrong About Chicago Transit

Local transit advocates have diverse opinions on the best ways to improve transit safety. But there's one thing most of us can agree on. Donald Trump parachuting in soldiers, in an attempt to bully Chicago into submission, is not the answer.

October 1, 2025

Advocates In America’s Deadliest Car Crash City Are Forming a Powerful Coalition

A group of Memphis advocates are uniting to challenge car dependency and unravel its devastating impacts on residents

October 1, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Will Tax Your Patience

RIP electric vehicle tax credits, the Trump administration's latest assault on transit, and more.

October 1, 2025

BIG ZERO: Trump Stiffs NYC Transit System in ‘Sanctuary City’ Tantrum

The federal government is denying the MTA tens of millions of dollars in public safety funding over of New York's immigration policies.

September 30, 2025

More Transit Means Safer Streets

Promoting transit isn't just a social good. It's also a tool to achieve Vision Zero.

September 30, 2025
See all posts