As the Tenderloin Community Elementary School prepares to welcome students back this week, a significant change is underway in the neighborhood — the closing of Elm Street to vehicles and its opening as a safe space for children to play.
Initially established as an unpermitted social-distancing measure during the pandemic, the alley closure has evolved into a city-sanctioned initiative that expands the school’s play area, allowing elementary students to engage in activities such as soccer, hula hooping, and drawing with chalk.
Decorated with a vibrant spray-chalk snake and plans for a sidewalk mural, the space serves as a rare open-area oasis in a neighborhood facing a severe shortage of child-friendly recreational sites.
Despite having the highest density of children of any neighborhood in San Francisco, the Tenderloin is severely lacking in park space, with residents having about half the green space per person compared to other parts of the city. The situation translates to roughly only one yoga mat’s worth of open space for each resident.
Local advocates are calling for change, hoping to secure the alley as a permanent fixture with expanded operating hours, allowing not just schoolchildren but the whole community to benefit from this newly accessible space.
The city has shown support for the initiative, with the Planning Department hopeful that the development will act as a catalyst for broader community-oriented spaces throughout San Francisco.
Ilaria Salvadori, a senior planner at the San Francisco Planning Department, has been instrumental in assisting local advocates with the permitting process and beautifying the area, which includes plans for the mural to be painted soon.
Scott Bravmann, a volunteer who has been actively managing the alley space, noted the desperate need for safe areas for kids to play, especially during the pandemic when options were extremely limited.
When schools reopened in spring 2021, Bravmann, along with the school and other volunteers, began blocking the street to create a space that would allow for safe drop-offs and provide children with a place to engage in play. The previously low traffic in the alley dropped off nearly entirely by then, increasing the urgency to keep the street closed.
Dr. Kara Wright, a pediatrician who served as a family advocate at the school, emphasized the importance of outdoor space for children’s energy release. Having the alley available has allowed for creative play without the dangers posed by bustling streets.
Each school day, the alley remains closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. behind a barricade, which is typically staffed by Bravmann, who dedicates his time to overseeing the area.
In an environment where children often live in small apartments, the quiet streets become vital for them to learn life skills such as riding bikes and playing freely, away from the cars dominating their living space.
While Boedekker Park and the Tenderloin Recreation Center provide some recreational options, the park serves a broader community and the rec center is currently undergoing renovations slated to last until the spring of 2026.
Another potential safe space is the Golden Gate Greenway, which aims to serve as a community area by blocking traffic from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. However, progress on that project has stalled, hindering its effectiveness as a vibrant community space.
Elm Alley and the Golden Gate Greenway are part of the broader Tenderloin Community Action Plan. This resident-driven improvement initiative highlights strategies focusing on wellness, public space enhancements, and youth services.
The plan has designated funding for Elm Alley through June 2026, which includes financial resources for better gate construction and artistic murals, pending the required approvals from transportation authorities. There are also plans to employ a Safe Passage staff member to manage the gate.
The future of Elm Alley’s funding beyond 2026 remains uncertain, especially since the city did not allocate funds for the Tenderloin Community Action Plan in its latest budget.
Bravmann noted the pitfalls when the alley isn’t regularly engaged — it becomes a dumping ground littered with trash and homelessness-related detritus. Initially, when volunteers started managing the space, they routinely had to clean the area of litter and discarded needles.
There have been instances where Bravmann has arrived to manage the alley only to find emergency responders treating someone experiencing a health crisis, prompting the children to stay indoors that day.
Bravmann envisions a future with more than just a closed street; he is collaborating with the owner of a vacant lot adjacent to the alley to create a dedicated soccer field, though talks have been ongoing for two years.
Salvadori believes that completing the remaining steps, including obtaining permits for a mural and installing a new gate, will solidify Elm Alley as a reliable resource for the entire community.
This development could serve as a model for creating similar spaces in other parts of the city, reinforcing the idea that spaces designed for children benefit the broader community.
“When you design a space for children, you design a space for everyone else,” Salvadori stated, emphasizing the impact such small projects can have in fostering a sense of community and well-being.
image source from：missionlocal
