The Park of the Future
Salesforce Park is a green oasis. Some 5 acres in length - or approximately 4 city blocks. It has green walk ways, trees, play grounds, theaters, restaurants, park benches, 600 trees and 16,000 California plants. It boasts dramatic views of the Bay Bridge to Oakland and the blue Pacific ocean beyond.
Visitors to this newest of San Francisco parks never have to worry about dog poop, human waste, dangerous dirty rest rooms, bags of garbage, rats, homeless people, pan handlers or random street crime. My friends tell me it is their favorite park in San Francisco, arguably the US city with the greatest number of beautiful parks.
With professionally paid ambassadors for security on hand, access limited and carefully posted hours of operation, mothers with children, the elderly, and tech people engrossed in conversation never have to fear being assaulted or robbed. It is a private park for the elite – that banishes the ever present problems of urban street crime, pollution, traffic and dogs to a world 70 feet below to the streets of San Francisco.
The enormous amounts of money generated by the tech industry in San Francisco have not gone to any strategic effort to improve, to reform its politics, to make it safer and cleaner. Instead we have this; a city public park as gated community – public space as a visual apartheid.There is no question that this is an enormous technological architectural achievement. However, it is a sad commentary that those with money and influence feel that society will never get safer and those with money must insulate themselves from it.
Hawaii has not yet reached the point of exclusionary public parks, outside of hotels. Our parks are sometimes dirty and dangerous and garbage strewn - despite the best efforts of over taxed parks employees. However, at least they are open to all. San Francisco is often the pace setter for the rest of the country. One can only wonder how much longer it will be until parks here also become like gated communities.
The Park of the Future
