Community Corners

You might already be familiar with daylighting, which makes intersections safer by improving visibility, preventing cars from parking in the 20 feet right before a crosswalk.

Community Corners add simple amenities like murals and planters to these spaces that make them more beautiful, welcoming, and safe. The idea was created by local landscape architect Al Hawley as a way to transform underused corners into places where neighbors can gather, sit, and connect.

In spring/summer 2026, Civic Joy Fund piloted two Community Corners on Cortland Street in Bernal Heights next to our Pop-Up Town Square. We added planters, flowers, and tree stumps. That’s it! But those small changes make the corners feel like part of the neighborhood – creating a little spot where people can sit, chat, and sip coffee.

Now, SFMTA is launching a two-year Community Corners pilot program to make it easier for neighborhood organizations across San Francisco to create their own Community Corners.

Interested in a Community Corner in your neighborhood?

A Green Streets project

Green Streets is an emerging initiative of the Civic Joy Fund that reimagines underutilized public spaces. This growing network of experimental green spaces connects San Franciscans to their neighborhood villages, and to each other.