A plan for Twin Peaks

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Twin Peaks is one of San Francisco’s best-known public spaces. It has been a City landmark for centuries. When surveyor Jasper O’Farrell laid out Market Street in 1847 he aligned it to Twin Peaks. It is a popular spot with visitors as well as locals and immediate neighbors.

Twin Peaks is also one of the City’s outstanding natural areas. It provides habitat for San Francisco’s diverse native plants and animals, including the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.

Twin Peaks’ public lands are owned and managed by five separate City agencies – the Recreation and Parks, Real Estate, and Public Works departments, SF Municipal Transportation Agency, and the SF Public Utilities Commission. These agencies do coordinate some activities, but they have never worked together on a plan for conserving, improving, managing, and accessing Twin Peaks.

Livable City is undertaking a planning effort for Twin Peaks, in partnership with three American Indian organizations – the American Indian Cultural District, Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, and The Cultural Conservancy. Robin Chiang and Associates will be the lead designers. The plan will engage neighbors, visitors, San Francisco’s American Indian community, and public agencies. The project is funded by a grant from the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. We will seek to understand how people use and experience Twin Peaks now, what they would like to see conserved and improved, and explore options for a visitors center, access, connections, and governance. We will engage several important questions:

• How can people and enjoy Twin Peaks open spaces while respecting the area’s outstanding habitat and its neighbors?
• Would new or improved facilities improve the Twin Peaks experience?
• How should Twin Peaks be managed and governed?
• How can we improve safe, comfortable, and accessible and sustainable transportation options to Twin Peaks?

Based on the input we receive and the conversations we have, we will present a plan with options and recommendations to the community and the City.

How to get engaged

Please take our questionnaire, and circulate it using this link: https://bit.ly/3vHcllf

We are planning two public meetings in 2024. We can attend your meetings or organize an on-site tour with you. To keep informed sign up for our e-news using the box on the right.