2009 Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan

In 2009, Japantown SF was designated a “Preserve America Community” under a White House initiative, encouraging the use of historic assets and resources for community revitalization. The SF Planning Department worked with a 26-person Japantown Steering Committee to compile much needed data in 2006 - 2009 and create a plan for addressing new developments and supporting existing community-based organizations and locally-owned businesses, but was ultimately rejected by the community. The 2013 Japantown Cultural Heritage and Economic Sustainability Strategy and 2020 Cultural, History, Housing & Economic Sustainability Strategy (CHHESS) built upon the BNP’s research and were adopted to “1) Create a Regenerative Japantown, and 2) Secure Japantown’s future.”

Chapters

Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Community Heritage
Chapter 3: Community and Economic Development
Chapter 4: Land Use
Chapter 5: Built Form
Chapter 6: Public Realm
Chapter 7: Transportation and Circulation
Chapter 8: Japan Center
Chapter 9: Implementation

Appendices

Appendix A: Japantown Opinion Survey Summary
Appendix B: National Heritage Areas
Appendix C: Historic Property Benefits Matrix
Appendix D: Community Benefit District Case Studies
Appendix E: Implementation Case Studies
Appendix F: Planning a Multi-Use Community Facility
Appendix G: Transportation and Circulation Analysis
Appendix H: Japan Center Proforma Analysis