ABSTRACT
The initial design for the park was developed through iterative analog diagramming, which was then replicated and expanded with the use of parametric software. The resulting design includes a series of long walls that follow grade and flow through the park, to define spaces, and to provide seating and protection from adjacent streets. The design of South Park began with ideas, concepts, and impulses that were informed by public process, context, and the many site influences and variables. It is the designer's role to sort through the variables and rules and to pursue a path that leads to a final design proposal. South Park is the oldest public space in San Francisco, built in 1852. The South Park Improvement Association hired Fletcher Studio to work with neighbors and community leaders to develop a master plan for the park. The pathway system includes "tablet"-shaped pavers, with rounded edges that are arrayed on the north–south axis throughout the park.
