This website is provided by the City and County of San Francisco to assist San Franciscans to make street improvements in their neighborhoods, shopping districts, and workplaces. The site provides information on street improvement project types, the   City’s permitting process, maintenance responsibilities, and applicable codes and guidelines.

Resilientville is a role-playing exercise which advances participant awareness of the short and long term benefits of problem solving at the neighborhood level. By working together as a community on issues that present themselves  on a daily basis, residents develop crucial decision making skills and relationships that over time strengthen their ability to respond to a wide variety of unforeseen challenges and opportunities.

Every day, hundreds of associations work tirelessly to make San Francisco a great place to live, work and visit. Citidexsf offers an online home to capture and share valuable information about these groups so that they can connect with each other and the communities they serve.

Citidexsf is a dynamic database rich with information that is uploaded and maintained by the community groups themselves.

This Toolkit is designed to help you produce a great event. It includes valuable information about permits, timelines, and sample flyers to make your block party a success.

This Toolkit provides all of the information you need to get your NEN Neighborfest off to a strong start.

Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact SF SAFE, Inc., whose team of Public Safety Coordinators can guide you through the planning stages, and help you organize your block.Their number is (415) 553-1984, or visit their website at www.sfsafe.org. Now let’s plan your NEN Neighborfest Block Party!

Though it came a day early, a Cinco de Mayo celebration in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood was an extraordinary experience for neighbors near the Bridgeview Teaching and Learning Garden, service-learning students from University of San Francisco, and friends of the showcase garden project.

Joel and Mary McClure, project leaders for the Bridgeview Garden, got the event planning in motion weeks earlier, along with Vidal Perez who did most of the work on the stunning garden entryway.  Vidal supplied music for the event, and brought a hearty soup to go with fresh local fruits and a sweet potato pie from the kitchen of Quesada Gardens Co-Founder Corine Pettus.

Under blue skies and overlooking a skyline that puts the “view” in Bayview, Alejandro Murguia delivered a poem written for the occasion.  Alejandro and his partner Magaly Fernandez have been supporters of the Quesada Gardens Initiative and the showcase Bridgeview project for years, and live across the street from the garden.

Alejandro is not only a neighbor, but also a National Book Award-winner and San Francisco’s Poet Laureate.  In his poem, palm trees tip their hats as Bayview’s past, present and future swirl about them.

See Alejandro’s poem below and online.

The event also served as a celebration of the accomplishments of a group of service-learning students from University of San Francisco.  Over the past several months, these young people have done gardening in several gardens, staffed five community events, and installed a new sign in the Quesada Garden.

Robyn Brault and Anthony Terrazas shared moving reflections about their experience with Quesada Gardens.  Anthony introduced his mother to the group, and read an essay about his family’s immigrant journey and his own personal part of it.

See Anthony’s moving reflection online now. “[Quesada Gardens] offers community members the opportunity to not only define and create their physical surroundings, but to cultivate a place where one is capable of developing his or her abilities and exercise his or her capacities.”

Serenity, who won a national youth gardening award at Quesada Gardens GRO1000 event last year, shared her essay about the Bridgeview Garden where she and brother Legend and mom Quay Markham have connected with their neighbors.

  “In my neighborhood garden we are planting food for everyone in our community….” 

Many student stars contributed to Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood in recent months.  One student group reported: “Now we’ve become the voices that will carry the positive image of the Bayview Community.”

Join the Bay Area Red Cross’ Emily White and SF DEM’s Deputy Director Rob Dudgeon as they guide you through the festivities and explain why it’ts time to “Make Your Game Plan…”

Photo by Cole Anetsberger

Gearing up for WritersCorps‘ Poetry Projection Project, a festival of short films based on youth writing, we sat down with this year’s festival juror H.P. Mendoza.
 

This article originally appeared in the SFAC April newsletter

“We are excited to hear directly from our residents about their top priorities on issues that matter the most to them,” said Mayor Lee. “We must craft a balanced budget that keeps our City on a steady course of continued fiscal stability, stimulate the local economy, create good jobs, invest in key capital and infrastructure improvements, as well as address long term challenges identified in the proposed Five Year Financial Plan and ensure that San Franciscans can access City services they need.”

As part of this year’s budget process, Mayor Lee will meet with the Board of Supervisors, community-based organizations and advocacy groups, neighborhoodand business leaders, labor representatives, representatives of City Commissions and Department Heads to discuss budget priorities and innovative cost savings ideas.

The six District Based Budget Town Halls will be spread around the City at various community venues. For more information and updates on this year’s Budget Town Halls, go to: www.sfmayor.org/budget.

Schedule of Budget Town Halls with Mayor & District Supervisors

Districts 1 & 4 with Supervisors Eric Mar & Katy Tang

Saturday, April 20, 2013 (10:00 – 11:30 a.m.)

George Washington High School, 600 32^nd Avenue

Districts 10 & 11 with Supervisors Malia Cohen & John Avalos

Monday, April 22, 2013 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Southeast Community Facility, 1800 Oakdale Avenue

Districts 8 & 9 with Supervisors Scott Wiener & David Campos

Saturday, May 4, 2013 (9 – 10:30 a.m.)

Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 825 Shotwell Street

Districts 4 & 7 with Supervisors Katy Tang & Norman Yee

Saturday, May 11, 2013 (10 – 11:30 a.m.)

Location TBA

Districts 5 & 6 with Supervisors London Breed & Jane Kim

Monday, May 13, 2013 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street

Districts 2 & 3 with Supervisors Mark Farrell & David Chiu

Saturday, May 18, 2013 (10 – 11:30 a.m.)

Location TBA

This is a short conversation about the need for volunteer-run neighborhood support centers after a major earthquake, and what are some of the supplies and services the neighborhood support center could give to San Franciscans. This is episode 2 of a 10 part series which illustrate easy steps to take before an earthquake to stay safe in your home after a major earthquake.