When did your the new name go into effect?
Our rename will officially go into effect with the launching of our website groundplaysf.org on March 2017.
What will happen to Pavement to Parks and Living Innovation Zones (LIZ)?
All projects will stay in place or proceed as planned. The only thing that is changing is that the names Pavement to Parks and LIZ are going away. Going forward, all projects will be known as Groundplay projects.
Does the name change signal a change in the program’s mission?
No; this is a rebranding initiative, not a reorganization. The program will continue to operate as before, as the same location, and with the same staff, and all of your contacts (and their contact information) will remain the same.
Why change the names at all, when Pavement to Parks and LIZ were well-known?
We wanted to raise the visibility of our program by creating a strong, unified brand that highlighted what all of the projects had in common (and eliminated the confusion that separate brands were creating). We wanted the economies that uniting our marketing efforts around one brand would provide. And we wanted a name that captured, in a clear yet imaginative way, both the mission and spirit of our program—and would remain relevant for the long haul.
Will there be a change in the type of projects the program supports?
Only insofar as the needs and interests of different neighborhoods change. One of the program’s strengths is its agility in responding to needs as they evolve, and the types of projects are limited only by the imagination of the community members who conceive them.
How long do Groundplay projects stay in place?
It depends. Some (like the Market Street Prototyping Festival installations) only last a few days. Others can last months—or even years. And some move from one location to another. It’s a very fluid, dynamic model.
Who funds these projects, anyway?
It varies from project to project. It might be a local business, a civic group, a government entity—or all of the above.
How is Groundplay different from other government urban planning initiatives?
Top-down government planning tends to be costly, slow, and constrained by bureaucratic red tape—and focused on end results. By contrast, Groundplay emphasizes a grassroots process that’s community-driven and encourages the kind of stewardship that can sustain real and integrated change.
I’ve heard the term “tactical guerilla urbanism.” Is that what Groundplay is?
Not exactly. Tactical guerilla urbanism is more typically focused on immediate, temporary citizen efforts that don’t involve civic, business, and government groups. By forging community alliances and thinking more strategically, Groundplay is able to foster more lasting transformations of the urban landscape.
What’s the process for implementing these projects?
Groundplay projects begin with ordinary San Franciscans with ideas for their neighborhoods—not someone in a government planning office. Once a person contacts us, we look at which government, business, and civic groups can provide funding and other forms of support (such as design services). This grassroots process sidesteps a lot of the time-consuming (and costly) bureaucratic red tape of formal, top-down government planning projects, while building community ties and enhancing local stewardship.
Can anyone do this?
Yes. If you have an idea, bring it on! You can contact us here.
