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India Basin

Envisioning a walkable and sustainable waterfront neighborhood

Sector

Transportation & Mobility

Region

North America

Timespan

2014-

Credit: Steelblue

Gehl led the public realm design for 27 acres of rugged land on San Francisco’s former industrial waterfront. The team, which also included SOM and Bionic, was tasked with developing the master plan for a dynamic mixed-use neighborhood and waterfront park that fuses urban spaces with its natural surroundings, establishing a focal point in an area previously isolated by both geography and industry for decades.

The Big Green is the heart of the open space system and functions as a dynamic landscape with diverse ecologies and programs. Design emphasis is placed on preserving the character of the Big Green as natural, rugged, and feral. Credit: Steelblue
The Cove Terrace is a prominent public and private plaza, lined with active ground floor restaurants and cafes, located at the top of a terraced bank with panoramic views to downtown San Francisco. The intersection of the urban and the wild offers a rare experience along the San Francisco waterfront. Credit: Steelblue

Harmonizing urban development with nature

India Basin, one of San Francisco’s last undeveloped waterfront areas, is renowned for its salt marsh wetlands, grasslands, and diverse bird species. A project of this magnitude demanded a design approach that is sensitive to the land’s natural features — including its hydrology and topography. Gehl spearheaded the urban and mobility strategy for the area, crafting a framework that fosters the development of a high-quality public realm in harmony with the site’s ecological surroundings.

The proposed framework includes central squares within the urban village and waterfront terraces and boardwalks along the edge of the Great Park, enhancing community access to nature. Streetscape and mobility improvements feature a grade-separated bicycle network, enhanced pedestrian and transit connectivity between India Basin and surrounding neighborhoods, and the introduction of a continuous Bay Trail. This trail weaves through an active plaza with restaurants and concessions, where pedestrians and cyclists intermix. The Cove Terrace gently descends with expansive terraces to a newly created tidal marsh.

Parts of the project were approved in 2020 and 2024, with construction beginning thereafter. Full build-out will create 1,575 homes, over 200,000 square feet of retail, and six acres of public open space. About 400 units are expected to be subsidized affordable housing. Overall, the strategy aimed to build a well-connected, resilient community, with the final master plan honoring the site’s topography and celebrating San Francisco’s ecological heritage.

The Hillside steps provide an important functional pedestrian connection from Innes Avenue down to New Hudson Avenue — the retail heart of the neighborhood. The steps are designed to feel welcoming, generous, and comfortable to the larger existing India Basin community. Credit: Kurumi Nishioka
The river lies right on the city’s doorstep and offers a relaxing respite from the urban hustle and bustle, yet it is often difficult for all users to access. Credit: Gehl

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Credit: LHM/MOR, DobnerAngermann

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Broadway at Times Square in 2009, after Gehl worked with the City of New York and the Department of Transport on a major urban realm and bicycle strategy. Credit: Department of Transport (DOT)

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Credit: Van Leer Foundation

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Credit Gehl

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In 2022, the Gehl team reimagined a parking lot into a space fostering vibrant public life. The project’s success led to its permanent transformation, highlighting the potential for underutilized urban areas to be repurposed into thriving community spaces. Credit: Patrick Waldschmitt

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