City Science is advancing participatory urban planning in San Francisco through a series of panels and community engagement activities. These efforts are designed to explore how zoning changes can shape more livable neighborhoods while ensuring residents have a direct voice in the process.

Panel Discussion

The first event featured a panel discussion structured around two primary themes:

The New Family Zoning Plan

Urban planning documents and maps often make it difficult for residents to picture how proposed policies will affect their daily lives or alter the physical character of neighborhoods. In practice, even when height restrictions are relaxed, a variety of legal and economic factors mean that development does not occur uniformly across parcels.

City Science Group responeded to this by presenting an analysis of parcels most likely to be developed under the new family zoning plan. They illustrated potential development probabilities, emphasizing that these represent only one possible outcome among many. This framing helped explain both the mechanics of the zoning plan and also the broader scenarios that could unfold within neighborhoods.

Governance and Dynamic Zoning

The second theme addressed governance systems for urban planning following zoning changes. Panelists considered how developers might provide public benefits such as amenities or infrastructure improvements as part of new projects. Such measures can build trust with residents, increase transparency, and extend the benefits of development beyond individual properties.

A key concept discussed was dynamic zoning: an approach in which community needs adapt over time to ensure that public benefits are distributed equitably. 

During the Q&A, residents raised concerns about displacement pressures from rising rents and posed questions about current planning processes, legal frameworks, and implementation practices. In addition to transparency around the zoning plan itself, participants called for greater openness in how planning analyses are conducted.

Interactive Engagement Booths

Following the panel, City Science hosted two engagement booths to deepen resident participation:

• Generative AI Visualization
  This booth demonstrated how neighborhood streetscapes might change over time if the proposed zoning plan were implemented. By visualizing potential scenarios, residents were able to consider how changes in building height or design could support development while preserving neighborhood character.
• Public Benefit Contributions
  The second booth explored ways developers could provide tangible benefits to the community, such as improved infrastructure or new amenities. Residents were invited to share their priorities through a structured questionnaire, providing valuable input on how development can better serve neighborhood needs.