How Skateboarders Revitalized San Francisco’s Troubled U.N. Plaza

Just two years ago, United Nations Plaza in San Francisco was widely regarded as one of the city’s most neglected and troubled public spaces. Despite its sunny brick promenade and proximity to government offices, the plaza had become a hotspot for social challenges that plagued the city.

On any given weekday, paramedics might be seen reviving an individual suffering from a fentanyl overdose, while nearby vendors sold stolen goods and a fountain was misused as a public restroom.

This troubling environment was especially jarring given the plaza’s central location—just a block from City Hall, adjacent to a busy rail station and Market Street, a major artery frequented daily by double-decker tour buses. With an important international conference scheduled in 2023, city officials urgently sought to reinvent the space.

The solution came in the form of a skate park. On a recent bright morning, skateboarders donned in baggy pants were seen practicing tricks on railings around the flagpole and cruising over a mound shaped like a volcano. Previously off-limits granite ledges were now open for skating maneuvers like grinding and sliding.

Originally dedicated in 1975 to commemorate the founding of the United Nations, U.N. Plaza was designed as part of a redevelopment plan aimed at attracting upscale shoppers from suburban areas. However, over the following decades, the plaza became synonymous with crime, drug use, and high commercial vacancies, with its open layout and decorative fountain failing to encourage meaningful public engagement.