GREEN ENVY: ACHIEVING EQUITY IN OPEN SPACE (Updated November 2007)
NPC's Green Envy study, a landmark white paper first published in 2003 and updated in 2007, advocates for equitable open space for all residents in all neighborhoods of San Francisco. This paper serves to inform the Mayor's Open Space Task Force which was convened in fall 2007. Email council@sfnpc.org if you would like more information about Green Envy.
The title of the report, Green Envy, was chosen for its multiple meanings. At present, San Francisco has ‘green envy’ of other cities that have programs in place to protect and acquire open space. Within San Francisco many neighborhoods that are deficient in open space have ‘green envy’ of other neighborhoods that have more parks. But these deficiencies can be overcome with a new Open Space Plan -- then San Francisco’s parks and green spaces could be the ‘envy’ of all.
A crucial part of the Green Envy study are the park maps, which show public parks, playgrounds, and open spaces owned by city agencies, as well as private parks in the city. The report also contains "gap maps" which show areas of the city that are not currently being served by parks. NPC has uploaded the citywide and district park maps from Green Envy for your reference. Click here to view the maps.
You can also click here to order a hard copy of the 2003 Green Envy report, or to download it and print it yourself.
Download the 2007 updated version of the Green Envy report here:
Original 2003 version of the Green Envy report (all files are PDF format unless indicated otherwise):
- Green Envy executive summary
- Green Envy title page and acknowledgements
Green Envy open space report without maps - Tables
- Table l: Open Space Created by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
- Table 2: Open Space Fund Expenditure Details 1975-2003
- Table 3: Open Space Acquired By Recreation & Park Department In SF
- Table 4: San Francisco Downtown Park Fund Summary 1985-2002
- Table 5: Comparison of Recreation Facilities in Various Cities
- Table 6: Open Space Classifications for Each Supervisoral District
- Table 7: Planned C3 (Financial District & SOMA) Developments
- Table 8: Open Space Actuals in Various Cities
- Table 9: Open Space Standards for New Development in San Francisco
- Table 10: Open Space Definitions
- Table 11: Total Open Space per District
- Table 12: Neighborhood Open Space per District
- Table 13: List of Park Properties Acquired by Eminent Domain in San Francisco
- Click here to download 2003 Green Envy maps (in JPEG format)
DO PARKS MAKE CENTS? (May 2006)
Do Parks Make Cents , a paper by Karin Edwards
LEAVING A LAKE LEGACY (November 18, 2002)
Leaving a Lake Legacy, a paper by Kathleen Pilat
- Note: PDF does not include graphics. If you would like a copy of the complete paper, please request a hardcopy from NPC. Please email council@sfnpc.org.
PARKSCAN ANNUAL REPORTS (Various years)
Download available annual reports here.
