Block party celebrates community, new ground murals, and permanent slow streets in the South of Market
SAN FRANCISCO – The South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) is hosting the SOMA Block Party, a free all-ages community event on Saturday, June 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at SOMA Slow Streets: Mabini, Bonifacio, Lapu Lapu, Rizal, and Tandang Sora Streets.
The SOMA Block Party is in celebration of the permanent designation of the first ever Slow Streets in the South of Market (SOMA) and the unveiling of eight new ground murals on SOMA Slow Streets.
The block party and ground murals were two of the Slow Streets enhancement methods that were voted on by the community.
Three artists from the community, Rea Lynn de Guzman, Cherisse Alcantara, and Kacy Jung, were commissioned to design and paint eight ground murals along SOMA Slow Streets. The ground mural designs reflect the Filipino, Chinese, and Russian culture and heritage of the majority of the residents and workers in the area. These ground murals were painted with the help of community members.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the SOMA Block Party to unveil the ground murals and officially open SOMA Slow Streets.
The SOMA Block Party will feature music, food, games, tabling by community-based organizations, activities, and performances.
SOMCAN launched the SOMA Slow Streets Project and Campaign on August 2023 under its Reclaiming Our Space (ROSe) Program that combines art, design, and community planning to organize, empower, and increase the civic engagement of the community around urban planning activities in SOMA Pilipinas, Filipino Cultural Heritage District.
Slow Streets in San Francisco started as a COVID-19 pandemic program by SFMTA to provide much needed space for people to be outside at a safe distance. These Slow Streets were designed to limit through traffic at a reduced speed on certain residential streets and allow them to be used as a shared space for people traveling by foot and by bicycle.
SOMA Slow Streets were an essential addition to the district, not only as a pandemic-era solution but also for the overall safety and well-being of the community comprised of residents, workers, seniors, and elementary and middle school students. The SOMA neighborhood is the entrance and exit to major freeways such as the 101, I-80, and I-280 and continues to have the highest severe and fatal injuries per mile to pedestrians and cyclists.
SOMA Slow Streets also provided more open space in the SOMA which has the least amount of park space per resident in the entire city.
However, on December 6, 2022, only 16 of the 18 Slow Streets throughout San Francisco were granted permanent designation by the SFMTA Board of Directors. One of the two Slow Streets that were not part of the designation were SOMA Slow Streets.
SOMCAN launched a campaign with the strong support of community members and community-based organizations for the reinstatement and permanent designation of these much-needed Slow Streets in the SOMA. The campaign culminated with the delivery of more than 300 postcards signed by community members along with several community members voicing their demands in person for SOMA Slow Streets at the SFMTA Board of Directors meeting at City Hall last March 21.
On May 16, the SFMTA Board of Directors unanimously voted for the reinstatement and permanent designation of SOMA Slow Streets.
For more information about the SOMA Block Party, email [email protected] or call (415) 255-7693. (SOMCAN Release)
