Let’sPlaySF! Initiative (2012 Bond)

Background

Let’sPlaySF! has its origins in the $195 million San Francisco Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks General Obligation Bond approved by 71.6% of voters in November 2012. The Bond allocated $15.5 million to renovate dilapidated playgrounds through the City.

In 2014, the Recreation and Park Commission appointed a Citizen Task Force to determine which playgrounds were most in need of renovation. The Task Force prioritized six Tier 1 and seven Tier 2 playgrounds for renovation based on four criteria: (1) the presence of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Pressure Treated Wood, (2) low Household Median Income, (3) high Youth Density and (4) low Playground Report Card Grades.

In December 2014, the Recreation and Park Commission unanimously adopted the list recommended by the Task Force, of which the Department committed to renovate all six Tier 1 playgrounds and to renovate some or all Tier 2 playgrounds provided if additional funding were procured.

In the wake of that determination, in 2016, the Department launched the Let’sPlaySF! Initative , a public-private partnership dedicated to raising sufficient funds to ensure that all 13 playgrounds could be reimagined for San Francisco’s children.

Program Status

The initiative has fully completed 11 of 13 playgrounds and they are open to the public.

Of the two remaining playgrounds, Stern Grove began construction in late 2024 and slated to open in Mid-2025. Buchanan Street Mall Playground has been incorporated into a larger renovation of the park. This project began construction in summer 2025 and slated to open in 2026.

For status updates on the individual sites, click on a project:

Status of Tier 1 Sites - All Tier 1 sites are completed and open to the public.

Status of Tier 2 Sites:

Project Updates

If you would like to receive updates about all our active projects, please visit the News Flash section of our webpage and subscribe to “Rec Park Improvements | All Project Updates,” or pick-and-choose your subscriptions by project name.

Project Update

Buchanan Street Mall | Equity Action Plan community meetings on July 30 and August 4

Rec and Park and our partners hosted dozens of neighborhood circles in 2023 to listen for community priorities and gather community recommendations to create the Buchanan Street Mall Equity Action Plan. The Equity Action Plan identifies ways that the Read on…

Buchanan Street Mall | Community meeting update: Join us July 30, 5-8 p.m.

MEETING UPDATE – Due to an unforeseen conflict, the community meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, July 28 is now cancelled. We plan on rescheduling this meeting and will share details early next week. The second meeting that we announced will continue Read on…

Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, July 2026

The renovated Buchanan Street Mall is really starting to take shape! Many of the park’s new paths have been paved, the new rain gardens are being dug, and more site furnishings have been installed on every block. The park’s new lawns were planted, so Read on…

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Documents and Materials

Commission Materials

Additional Project Documents

Additional Background

The Task Force

The Task Force, which was appointed by the Recreation and Park Commission on April 17, 2014, includes a Rec Park Commissioner, leaders from children’s advocacy and parent organizations, children and family service organizations, and citywide open space organizations along with volunteers from the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee (PROSAC) and RPD’s GreenAgers program.

The Task Force met seven times and included substantial public participation. After much discussion and analysis, the Task Force unanimously approved a list of 13 playgrounds to be prioritized for renovation, divided into two tiers. The Task Force recommends that all playgrounds containing Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Pressure-Treated Wood be first prioritized for renovation. The division of such playgrounds into Tiers was based on low Household Median Income (HMI), high Youth Density, and low Park Report Card grades.

The Task Force was challenged to identify criteria for Failing Playgrounds and apply it to playgrounds throughout the city. The Task Force made recommendations to the Recreation and Park Commission on playgrounds to prioritize for future renovations. Criteria that the Task Force considered included the following:

2010 Census Data
Analysis of disabled access
Controller’s Office Proposition C evaluation data
Evaluation of open space and playground deficient neighborhoods
Parks Playground Report Card
The Physical Condition of the Sites
Presence of Pressure-Treated Lumber
San Francisco Unified School District playground locations

Bond Report

View the full Bond Report (PDF) .

Meeting Materials

Task Force Meeting Number 1

Task Force Meeting Number 2

Task Force Meeting Number 3

Task Force Meeting Number 4

Task Force Meeting Number 5

Task Force Meeting Number 6

Task Force Meeting Number 7

Task Force Members

Katie Albright

Executive Director

San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center

Julia Brashares

Director of Street Parks

SF Parks Alliance

Chelsea Boilard

Director of Programs

Coleman Advocates

Alejandra Chiesa

Project Manager - Parks for People

Trust for Public Land

Rob Connolly

President

Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco

Anthony Cuadro

D7 Representative

PROSAC

Dawn Kamalanathan

Director of Planning and Capital Management

SF Recreation and Park Department

Eric McDonnell

Commissioner

Recreation and Parks Commission

Doreen Pacini

Youth Representative

GreenAgers

Albert Ko

Executive Vice President

SF Parent Teacher Association

Michelle Parker

VP Communications

SF Parent Teacher Association

Mario Paz

Executive Director

Good Samaritan Family Resource Center

Mark Scheuer

D8 Representative

PROSAC

Lee Anne Weldon

Council Member, Policy Council

SF Parks Alliance

Contact Us

Alexis Ward

Project Manager Email Phone: 1-628-652-6641

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