San Francisco’s waterfront tree removal has triggered a wave of public anger.
Crews started cutting down trees Monday at Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park, where 97 of 113 trees are slated for removal over the next five weeks, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department confirmed. Only three of those trees will be transplanted elsewhere in the park.
The $40 million Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project promises to replace the felled trees with a mix of coast live oak, coast redwood, Monterey cypress, southern magnolia, and strawberry tree. City officials insist the total tree count will stay identical once work wraps up next year.
The agency defended the removals as essential infrastructure work. “Removing and replanting trees is necessary to regrade the park to be more accessible to all,” it stated. It also emphasized that “the number of trees in the park before and after renovation will remain the same.”
Social media erupted as news spread. “You got to be kidding!!!!! With the temprature rising & you are cutting down trees. You will be burning San Francisco!!!!!!,” an Instagram user commented on a local news post.
Another Instagram user pushed back on the city’s environmental reputation, writing, “Seems like our nature-loving city loves new ‘designed’ parks but not inclined to take care of our existing meager ‘canopy.'”
The renovation marks another major change for a space with layered history. Embarcadero Plaza was originally designed by Lawrence Halprin as a lively, inward-facing public space when it opened in 1972. Sue Bierman Park came later, developed to create pedestrian gathering spaces after the Embarcadero Freeway was demolished in 1992.
This year’s tree removals follow the earlier dismantling of the historic Vaillancourt Fountain, which also stood in the plaza. The broader makeover targets what officials describe as aging infrastructure and declining park usage, particularly since the pandemic. “While these parks have served the community for decades, aging infrastructure and declining usage, especially after COVID-19, highlight the urgent need for revitalization,” the department said in project materials.
The redesigned space is intended to become a “vibrant 5-acre waterfront park in the heart of San Francisco,” according to the agency’s vision statement. Plans call for a multi-purpose area accommodating large gatherings, updated pathways, new landscaping, and modern stormwater infrastructure. Pathway and circulation improvements are also meant to boost accessibility and connectivity along the waterfront.
Funding for the project mixes public and private sources. The city is contributing $15 million to $20 million in public funds. Real estate firm BXP put up $2.5 million for the design phase, and the Downtown SF Partnership has committed to raising an additional $10 million toward construction costs.
