The Crossing at East Cut in San Francisco, CA is a multi-year temporary urban activation in response to bringing people together after the pandemic. Through a public and private sector partnership, the 3.5-acre former Temporary Transit Terminal has been transformed into a new regional destination for locals and tourists alike.
Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2024
Second Award | Pop-ups and Temporary (Built)
Project Name: The Crossing at East Cut
Category: Pop-ups and Temporary (Built)
Studio Name: Populous
Design Team: Riki Nishimura, Michael Lockwood, John Shreve, Trevor Ponder, Nicole Williams, Francisco Besa, Rachel Fox Evans
Area: 3.5 acres
Year: 2021
Location: San Francisco, California
Photography Credits: Garry Belinsky
Other Credits: Populous
It brings people together with around-the-clock activations and amenities to celebrate community, promote active wellness, and enjoy a dynamic spectrum of entertainment experiences. The project is committed to the idea of partnership driving investment, community, and sustainability. The site is free and open to the public and activates future development parcels that would otherwise be fenced off during entitlements.
The site is one of only a few remaining undeveloped parcels in downtown SF. Future developments for the 3 parcels include affordable housing and a public park. The site is situated in an area of downtown that has the tallest high-rise buildings, both commercial and residential, where daytime workers and the residential population rarely intersected until the Crossing site was activated. The asterisk logo we designed as part of the branding is informed by the urban design diagram, which conceptually organizes the site and connects and bridges the neighborhood, establishing a crossing for social interaction through the intersection of wellness, sustainability, community, and entertainment.
Our urban design vision seeks to transform this space into a vibrant community hub by repurposing existing infrastructure and resilient community programming. Identified through community engagement sessions, site functionality is flexible and can change to meet the community needs. Site use includes food and beverage, athletic sports, and special events. A family-friendly beer garden and bar, food kiosks, and food trucks are available. Fitness and recreation, including an outdoor gym, street soccer, and pickleball courts create daily energy at the site, ensuring a healthy and connected community. Other activities include a dog park and kids/family play areas. It is the epicenter of cultural festivals and local events including a summer-long youth rock band series and watch parties for the Super Bowl and Women’s World Cup Soccer.
The Crossing promotes a resilient and sustainable approach by creating adaptable, resource-efficient temporary structures and installations with lower environmental carbon footprint. Structures and materials are designed for reuse or recycling in the future, aligning with circular economy principles and waste reduction. It exemplifies a replicable model of temporary activations on pre-development parcels, transforming parking lots and underutilized land into vibrant recreation and event spaces through strategic architecture, landscape and urban design initiatives that maximize experience and minimize excess.
While it was anticipated that the activation would only operate until permanent developments started construction, the success of the space has resulted in community-requested delays for the future park space and a reframing of how the permanent park will more closely match what The Crossing offers. The Crossing at East Cut has shown that one centralized space that appeals to many can address the issues around downtown recovery and resiliency to strengthen communities through architecture, landscape, urban design, and branding strategies.
