Cole Valley Pop-Up Town Square

This space was created in response to neighbors asking a simple yet profound question: “what if our neighborhood had a town square?”

The answer appeared as an extension of Richard Gamble Memorial Park. This space is small, heavily used, and bisected by a train. Located at the heart of a small and bustling neighborhood, it was clear it could benefit from a little added breathing room. The Pop-up Town Square aims to provide just that. Modernizing Richard Gamble Memorial Park is critical, and the addition of a town square would provide flexible space for the community, and an added impetus to invest in the park. 

As the name implies, Pop-up Town Squares are designed as pilot projects. This iterative approach helps everyone understand the impact of the potential of the space, as well as foster community buy-in and local stewardship. By creating opportunities to test, modify, and improve the amenities that are provided, we can work to ensure that this space is a reflection of the neighborhood’s needs and desires. 

The future of this town square is up to you! If this space resonates with the community, then additional iterations will be considered, but only to the extent that the space is embraced by its neighbors. 

This iteration of the town square, and each of the ones before it, is part of an engagement process to see how well the space serves the neighborhood, and how different design resonates with the community. If there’s enough community support, a more thorough engagement and permitting process would be pursued to bring a long-term project to life.