PlantSF

History of the Organziation

After years of community gardening, Plant*SF was formalized in 2005 by a San Francisco resident as the result of two realizations:

Very little land exists in San Francisco for new parks and greenspace. Planting along the vast paved sidewalks, especially in areas where very few parks exist, is a way to bring nature to people in their everyday lives while beautifying those areas. San Francisco's sidewalks contain more open space than all city parks combined.

In San Francisco, the earth is sufficiently encapsulated by impermeable surfaces (concrete and asphalt) such that absorbtion of rainwater is limited. During recurrent flooding of sewage backups due to a failing combined sewer system, the earth underneath the pavement remained DRY. Exposing the earth by removing concrete reduces the volume of water the system is required to handle. It also provides for the natural cycle of recharge of water into the earth.

Plant*SF started with one sidewalk garden in the Mission District and like many of the plants in it, hopes to be self-propogating and spread throughout the city.

Information on Plant*SF founder, Jane Martin, is at www.shiftdesignstudio.com. Thanks for your interest and participation. If you believe in what we do, please consider making a donation which will be used to further our planting and advocacy efforts.