Building open spaces required in San Francisco zoning law

Christopher calls our attention to "Little-known open spaces enhance downtown S.F.," the latest column by John King in the San Francisco Chronicle.

DC gets a bit of this as a result of planned unit development zoning actions, but the spaces aren't very usable. E.g., at 1333 New Hampshire Avenue NW, the "space wells", one used by Buffalo Billiards as an outdoor, sunken patio, are supposed to be community amenities, used by the public.

The article includes a map of the spaces, and an interesting discussion. From the article:

... Two spacious terraces, however, are free to anyone who walks in from the street. They're perched off the fourth and sixth floors, and each is drenched in sun during the afternoon. But they aren't as stylish as the hotel bar, where vintage glass is on display and a hamburger costs $16. As of last week, the terraces' decor consisted of stone pavers, sickly bamboo in planters, and a grand total of 19 chairs.

The Intercontinental terraces show the mixed results of a decades-old city policy that requires new commercial buildings in central San Francisco to provide publicly accessible open space. More than a dozen such spaces now exist, including lush street-side plazas and rooftop aeries with spellbinding views. Yet many are hard to find unless you're in the know. Others are more Scrooge-like than welcoming.

The effort, which began in the 1980s, has added a network of pocket-size retreats to the Financial District's towers and traffic. Now that they're in place, though, the challenge is to weave them more fully into downtown life.