May 1, 2025 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco’s renovated United Nations Plaza has received a 2024 Award of Excellence from the California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS) in the category of Excellence in Design – Facility Design, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced today.
Reopened in November 2023, U.N. Plaza has become a vibrant community gathering space, offering a variety of new amenities including skate elements, outdoor workout equipment, free fitness classes, chess and ping pong tables and more. Designed to foster activity, inclusion, and connection, the reimagined plaza has played a key role in revitalizing the Civic Center area. In the first year since its reopening on Nov. 8, 2023, the welcoming and dynamic public space attracted more than 340,000 visitors. Reports for daytime drug-related incidents are down 78%.
“This award reflects the power of thoughtful design and inclusive programming that has breathed new life into this dynamic downtown space,” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. “We are incredibly proud of the transformation at U.N. Plaza and the recognition from CPRS.”
The 2024 Award of Excellence winners were recently announced in CPRS’s spring publication. The CPRS awards acknowledge remarkable achievements in facility design, park planning, marketing and communication, as well as community improvement and programming. U.N. Plaza was one of just four projects across California honored in the Excellence in Design – Facility Design category.
In February, the department expanded the plaza’s skate offerings through a partnership with The Skatepark Project and Converse, unveiling an additional 2,100 square feet of skateable surface featuring unique geometric art pieces. The space has drawn national attention—most notably in a recent viral video featuring skateboarding icon Tony Hawk during his visit to the plaza.
The revitalization of U.N. Plaza has sparked broader activation throughout the Civic Center area, including the return of the free outdoor concert series Civic Center Soundtrack at nearby Fulton Plaza and the launch of a two-year light installation titled SPECTRA.
The $2 million transformation of U.N. Plaza was made possible through a partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, San Francisco Public Works, and the Civic Center Community Benefit District, among other partners. The redesign was led by Verde Design, which submitted the project for CPRS award consideration.
“This project showcased the incredible results that can come from a unified team working toward a shared goal,” said Mark Baginski, Principal at Verde Design. “From day one, the stakeholders, city staff, design team, contractors, and suppliers remained focused on how we would deliver the project on time—never on why we couldn’t. The City’s leadership and ability to make timely, decisive decisions were instrumental in bringing this vibrant public space to life so quickly.”
CONTACT US