Welcome: Grow SF Report, Vol. 1
Welcome to the first edition of the Grow SF Report, a semi-monthly newsletter for people who want to make SF a better place for everyone. Each Report will highlight what’s going on in San Francisco, celebrate the things we love about this city, and share easy ways to get involved.
Many of you have joined us recently through our petition to save the ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park. Welcome! A little bit about Grow SF: we’re a group fighting for a more inclusive and livable San Francisco. Also, for more fun.
We advocate for common sense policies across a wide range of issues including housing, transportation, public schools, parks, and more. Most importantly, we are citizens who love living in San Francisco, and want to make sure more people have the opportunity to live, work, and raise their families here.
What You Need To Know
We’re keeping a pulse on local government progress, policies, and priorities so you don’t have to. Here are the top SF happenings you need to know:
Golden Gate Park Ferris Wheel
The debate around the ferris wheel rages on! Last week the Rec and Parks department voted to extend the ferris wheel operator’s permit through 2025, but the Historic Preservation Commission delayed their vote to March 3. More here. If you believe in keeping fun in SF, please sign our petition!
SF School Board
After feeling a lot of pressure from parents and the city itself, the school board has agreed to pause its effort to rename schools and focus on a plan to reopen. We’re happy with this and believe we shouldn’t settle for anything less than full time, in person education for all grade levels. More here.
Single-Family Zoning in Berkeley
This week, the Berkeley City Council voted to become the first Bay Area city to end single-family zoning. We’re thrilled to see this and hope San Francisco can follow Berkeley’s truly progressive action. More here.
UCSF Parnassus Campus Expansion
Remember when we said the fight for UCSF Parnassus wasn’t over? Community groups such as the Parnassus Neighborhood Coalition are suing to stop the project. Blocking a world class hospital is something only SF Nimbys would do. We’ll keep you informed on how to get involved. More here.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us change what happens next. Here are some simple ways you can get involved right now:
Sign our petition to save the Ferris Wheel at Golden Gate Park (here)
Subscribe to the SF Chronicle and support local journalism.
Your Dose of Data
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. That’s why we’re always crunching the numbers to help you better understand the city’s progress. Here are our latest insights:
New Business Opening Trends
After hitting a 12-month low in December (342), new business registrations in San Francisco saw a rebound in January (510). As COVID-19 cases recede from their holiday peak, how SF City and Business leadership responds will determine the health and trajectory of our economy in 2021.
We are so thankful to the small business owners choosing to invest in SF during this uncertain time, and we want to do what we can to support them. We will continue to support pro-small business measures like Prop H, which passed last year and makes it easier for new businesses to open in this period of recovery.
Topical Tweets
Twitter can be a firehose, but it’s also a powerful source of timely and insightful discourse about what’s happening in SF. Here are some of the best SF tweets you might have missed:
A well-researched analysis of the impact Dean Preston’s housing policy has on the LGBTQ community:
Moving a 139-year-old house down the street. Just another day in SF:
