Welcome
Over the past five years, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, under the guidance of our mayor and
the Recreation and Park Commission, has achieved some incredible things. We’ve overhauled our recreation delivery
model and have created some of the most popular and sought-after programs and summer camps in the city. We’ve
worked hard to make our parks the cleanest and most beautiful they’ve ever been. And, we’ve continued to renovate
parks and facilities all over the city by implementing $380 million in park bond dollars that San Francisco voters
eagerly supported. We’ve even been named the top urban parks system in the entire nation.
So, what’s next?
During the past year, our entire department—gardeners, laborers, recreation staff, managers and administration— along with some very
important partners and park advocates worked to develop a meaningful and lasting plan that provides a clear vision for our park system
and a clear set of values to guide us as we do our work. Our 2016-2020 Strategic Plan sets forth our core strategies and objectives and lays
out some specific initiatives for us to achieve—things like acquiring new park land; expanding youth programs that emphasize movement
and wellness; caring for our natural resources; and growing apprentice and workforce development programs that provide job training and
career pathways. If we follow the plan, I am confident we will inspire a more livable city for all and ensure that San Francisco’s parks connect us all to play, nature and each other for years to come.
I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort that went into developing this plan, and I want to thank our friends at Harvard Business
School Community Partners and Mariposa Leadership for their support and guidance throughout this process. I also want to thank everyone who offered their feedback and helped to shape our vision--- everyone from PROSAC, SPUR, the SF Parks Alliance, Laborers Local 261,
the Trust for Public Land and other community organizations and city agencies.
Most of all, I want to thank our staff for their support and participation throughout this process. Their voices were heard and this Strategic
Plan is a direct result of their diligence and commitment to the process.
Phil Ginsburg, General Manager
San Francisco Recreation and Parks