Planning department previews SF Survey community engagement framework to center racial and social equity

Maggie Smith, Planning Department staff working on the SF Survey, presented the community engagement framework and explained that the multi-year SF Survey aims to document tangible and intangible cultural resources across the city and to center preservation planning on racial and social equity. The framework includes five strategies: an internship program, neighborhood chats during fieldwork, community-led walks, co-designed community conversations, and collaborative digital platforms for collection and publishing.

Smith said the project will prioritize partnership with community-based cultural organizations and cultural districts and will phase fieldwork and adoption through 2026. She emphasized the project's intent to include intangible cultural heritage such as oral traditions, performing arts and social practices, and to target engagement to priority equity geographies identified using a Department of Public Health mapping methodology.

Commissioners gave detailed feedback on messaging, inclusions and measures of success. Commissioner Johns said the framework's goals should be distinguished from the survey's full scope so readers are not surprised. Commissioners recommended outreach to faith-based institutions, cultural centers, libraries and professional groups and urged community-driven measurement of success. Staff said findings would be published in sections and that fieldwork and pilot phases would continue into 2024'2025 with findings and adoption into 2026.

Staff said the engagement framework will evolve and that they are not seeking formal adoption at this time; instead the team will implement pilot strategies, partner with community organizations and return with regular updates to the Commission.