An account from merchants navigating the fallout. What began as a temporary pandemic-era street closure has now stretched on for years, disrupting commerce, dividing the community, and placing growing pressure on the small businesses that helped build Hayes Valley in the first place.For many people, the weekend closure of the 400 block of Hayes Street looks like a feel-good policy. … Read post
A Street Closure That Fails the Climate, the Community, and Common Sense You’ve probably heard the pitch: closing streets is good for the environment. Fewer cars, more walk-ability, climate wins. But here’s what actually happens when the 400 block of Hayes Street is closed and why it undermines the very goals it claims to support. Let’s be real: Hayes Valley … Read post
The Public Space Power Play in Hayes Valley Hayes Valley boasts some of San Francisco’s most expansive and elaborate parklets. Many occupy multiple parking spaces, are outfitted with semi-permanent structures, some so large they’re jokingly referred to as “boat-sized”…and were originally installed during the pandemic to help businesses stay afloat. Most bars and restaurants in the area have since expressed … Read post
Why One Permit Holder’s European Fantasy Is Hurting a Real San Francisco Neighborhood 1. Barcelona is the wrong comparison. Barcelona has entire districts designed around walk-ability with multi-modal transit, wide boulevards, and dense, mixed-use zoning. Hayes Street is one small commercial corridor. Shutting it down without a network of supportive infrastructure doesn’t replicate Barcelona…it isolates it. Key Points: 2. This … Read post
Update (Dec 2025):This piece was originally published in May 2025. More than six months later, the issues raised here remain unresolved — and in many cases have intensified. Subsequent permit renewals, “activation” programming, and political messaging have reinforced the same pattern described below. Documentation Hub For the full record of the Hayes Street closure permit, monitoring logs, and policy analysis, … Read post
April 8, 2025 This post after being up for 24 hours was removed today.No surprise, this private group is controlled and moderated by HVNA board members. HVNA is the permit holder of the Hayes Street Closure. This type of censorship and oppression by the HVNA is nothing new which is why we are highlighting this unjust behavior. This act exemplifies … Read post
With election day a few weeks away we wanted to share a few updates on initiatives that we’ve been busy advocating for which inevitably will drive our post election efforts. We believe it’s critical to share our discoveries and takeaways on issues that continue to shape our neighborhood — these matters impact both our quality of life and conditions to … Read post