Sunset Dunes One Year Out: They Built It, and People Came

Be sure to join Plover Fest, the one-year anniversary celebration this weekend, April 12, 12-4 p.m.

It cost a supervisor his job. It’s weathered a host of attacks, including vandalism, disinformation, and a failed attempt by a rookie supervisor to get it turned back into a car-way. But despite everything, Sunset Dunes park, which will celebrate its one-year anniversary this coming weekend, is going strong. It even has its own beer, called “Fine and Sandy.” From Friends of Sunset Dunes, the advocacy group that made it all possible:

Opening day drew 13,000 visitors, and from then on, it’s become one of San Francisco’s most visited parks. Families, seniors, runners, cyclists, skaters, and visitors from across the city and beyond showed up in numbers that exceeded expectations, redefining how our coast is used.

Advocates provided the following data:

●      Over 1.7 million people visited Sunset Dunes in its first year, with nearly 40,000 people per week

●      Local businesses saw revenue increases up to 44%, signaling a major boost for the Outer Sunset

●      Car crashes in the Sunset have declined since the park’s opening

●      More than 75 community events and thousands of volunteer hours helped activate and maintain the park

Visitation and use:

Sunset Dunes quickly became one of the most heavily used and beloved public spaces in San Francisco.

●      Over 1.7 million people have visited the park

●      On average, over 39,800 people visit the park each week

Economic impact and tourism:

Local businesses have experienced increased foot traffic and customer activity associated with Sunset Dunes.

●      Outer Sunset business like Andytown, Other Avenues Co-op, LoveFest Fibers, and Black Bird Bookstore and Cafe saw revenue increases up to 44% after Sunset Dunes opened

●      Sunset Dunes has been featured by the New York Times, Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle as a top travel destination

Traffic and street safety

Traffic impacts have remained limited and in line with expectations.

●      Data from SFMTA, the Frisc, and the San Francisco Chronicle found minimal changes in commute speeds, not more than 1-1.5mph at rush hour on most streets  

●      Traffic increases on nearby residential streets limited to approximately 1-2 additional cars per minute

●      Some routes have experienced decreases in traffic

●      Car crashes in the Sunset have declined since the park’s opening

Park amenities and art

With limited public expenditures, Friends of Sunset Dunes and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department introduced a range of amenities and art.

●      Added natural log seating—recycled from storm-damaged trees in Golden Gate Park—giving seniors and families a place to rest and soak in the ocean view 

●      Opened the West Side’s only skate and bike park, featuring the most beginner-friendly skate infrastructure in the city

●      Sunset Dunes is now home to 4 sculptures, 11 murals, and a rotating outdoor art gallery featuring local artists. Installations include the highly popular Octavius the Octopus and Rockspinner installations

●      A fitness area and nature play facilities offer workouts and kids play space with the best views in the city

●      In partnership with Sunset business owners, each intersection now has wayfinding signage pointing to nearby small businesses

Events and activations:

Sunset Dunes has quickly established itself as a vibrant hub for community life.

●      Opening Day celebration drew 13,000 people

●      Sunset Dunes hosted over 75 community events in its first year

●      10,000 people trick-or-treat on The Great Hauntway, our Annual Halloween event.

●      Each season brought popular events like the Doggone Bike Ride, Jingle on the Way, No Kings March, and the “Drag Me to Beach” drag show and fundraiser

●      Regular fitness activities include chair yoga, zumba and cantonese language dance class for our chinese seniors.

●      Local nonprofits like Support for Families use Sunset Dunes for events and community resource fairs

●      Monthly cleanups bring neighbors together to keep our park beautiful

●      Community volunteers contributed thousands of hours of volunteer time to steward and improve the park, including clearing sand, cleaning up litter, and organizing free community events

Environmental impact

Sunset Dunes’s opening represents a positive shift in how our coastline is stewarded.

●      Hundreds of volunteers have participated in dune grass planting and revegetation efforts, planting more than 2,400 native dune grasses

●      87 unique bird species have been documented at the park, including increased sightings of the White-crowned Sparrow, which nests at Sunset Dunes

●      A new sand-clearing volunteer program (“Sand Bustas”) cleared 2,867 cubic feet of sand to increase accessibility––the equivalent to 667 recology toter bins

●      Volunteers have hosted climate education events including: birding tours, responsible dog ownership information sessions, and walking tours

Advocates aren’t done.

“This is only the start of its transformation to a world-class coastal park,” wrote the organization. “We plan to continue that process in our second year, delivering the community’s most-requested improvements, bringing new amenities and life to the park, and inviting the whole city to join in to plan their future park together.”

Be sure to join Plover Fest, the celebration this weekend, April 12, 12-4 p.m.