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Let’sPlaySF! Initiative (2012 Bond)

Background

Alice Chambers

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.

Herz Playground

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 Blog

  1. Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, May 2026

The northern block is taking shape with retaining walls now installed and installation of green infrastructure underway. The current focus is on final grading and paving. The base for the Memory Walk is being laid on several blocks, with more decorative Read on…

  1. Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, April 2026

CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY: Pedestrian access between McAllister St. and Golden Gate Ave. will be limited to residents-only now through the end of construction in late 2026. Residents of Fredrick Douglas Haynes Gardens can access the Read on…

  1. Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, March 2026

Construction continues humming along at Buchanan Street Mall. Irrigation water and domestic water lines are installed, and electric conduit installation is mostly complete. Site walls continue to be formed and Read on…

View All /CivicAlerts.aspx

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