Market Street has long run through the heart of San Francisco. But what if it became the heart itself?‍

Our winning proposal reimagines Market Street as San Francisco’s living heart: emotionally resonant, ecologically grounded, and socially magnetic. No longer just a corridor to passthrough, it becomes a destination, a civic commons where cultures, communities, and everyday rhythms converge.

The idea of place and movement is central to the proposal—rethinking Market Street not just as a corridor for circulation, but as a place for pause, connection, and shared civic life.

This vision takes shape through five interwoven strategies:

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People-First Mobility

Reinforcing a car-free Market Street and prioritizing walking, biking, and rolling as everyday, joyful experiences at a human scale

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Streetcar Heritage

‍Reinforcing Market Street’s historic transit identity alongside San Francisco’s iconic cable car system by introducing a new looping streetcar route from Civic Center to the Ferry Building

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Restorative Urban Ecology

‍Introducing texture, scent, and seasonality through native plantings while creating flexible spaces that invite rest, reflection, and respire

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Civic Nodes, Layered Stories

‍Four zones unfold like chambers of a living heart, each with distinct histories and identities, celebrated through spaces that foster belonging, invite social connection, and support spontaneous play and civic gatherings

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Hallidie Plaza Transformed

Rethinking a key transit node as a civic grove where above and below-grade transit infrastructures meet a welcoming public realm and generous landscape, bringing surprise and delight into what was once an uninviting space

Market Street pumps life into the city’s core. It isa major artery connecting four walkable districts, each playing a vital role in circulating energy, access, and opportunity. It becomes more than infrastructure. It’s where movement sparks memory. It’s where the city finds space to breathe. This is a blueprint for sound urban development: not just resilient by design, but grounded in the rhythms of everyday life.

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This is the new Market Street, the living heart of the city.

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Client: ULI San Francisco / Civic Joy Fund
Team: Multistudio, Studio-MLA, Systematica, Vibemap
Location: San Francisco, CA
Status: Winning Proposal – ULI Market Street Reimagined Ideas Competition (2025)

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Explore our winning proposal and see the full list of honorees on the ULI website: Competition Submission Gallery | ULI San Francisco