Blue Greenway History and Context
The Blue Greenway concept evolved from the fact that San Francisco's portion of the Bay Trail is primarily completed on the northern portion of its waterfront from the Golden Gate Bridge to AT&T Park, and that the southern portion requires significant improvement. The Neighborhoods Parks Council (NPC) and San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) initiated the effort to promote coordination between public agencies to continue the planning and the implementation of open space improvements by the Port, the City's Planning and Recreation & Parks (R&P) Departments, the Redevelopment Agency (SFRA), the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and California State Parks Department. This effort was furthered by Mayor Newsom's Blue Greenway Task Force in 2006.
The Mayor's Task Force developed the following Vision Statement for the effort: The Blue Greenway is more than a trail; it is a unifying identity for the 13-mile corridor along San Francisco's southeastern waterfront. The Blue Greenway will link established open spaces; create new recreational opportunities and green infrastructure; provide public access through the implementation of the San Francisco Bay Trail, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail, and green corridors to surrounding neighborhoods; install public art and interpretive elements; support stewardship; and advocate for waterfront access as an element of all planning and development processes over time .
The following guiding principles were developed from the Task Force:
A working, urban waterfront that invites public use and enjoyment and access to the water;
Health and Environment
An environmentally sustainable and accessible shoreline on the Bay that is safe and healthy for people as well as wildlife;
A premier public open space system that connects San Francisco's southeastern neighborhoods to the Bay; and
Economy and Development
A catalyst for responsive and responsible development, employment opportunities, and economic vitality.