Pneumatic Ping Pong Ball Gun

The pneumatic ping pong ball gun can scare away the undesirables or change them into more playful Mid-Market characters.

Too often the police use force to stop force. In Mid-Market if we begin to meet force and threatening behavior with ping pong balls gentrification will quickly occur.

For Daily Use.

For Occasional Battles.

Back Up Balls

Marshmallow Version.

Glow In The Dark Version

The Gentrification Gate

The Gentrification Gate should be set up in UN Plaza so gathered onlookers can judge how the gentrified Mid-Market locals should look and act. As they walk through it with attempts at the proper style they are cheered or jeered.

The gate could be a temporary sculpture in the image of the Arc de Triomphe.

Sense of Humor

Using a sense of humor to deal with gentrification will work better than approaching the Mid-Market locals with fear. In the blighted area so close to Civic Center it can't get much worse, so using comic methods of dealing with stress and fear regarding change will be worthwhile.

The Gentrification Gate will give locals and passersby a chance to laugh as they act out the right type of person for the neighborhood.

Statues of Obama leading the local ducklings will bring a national portrait of a parent to these kids who won't grow up.

And other comic methods should lead to the right kind of gentrification.

A Mid-Market Police Horse

China As A Model For Change

The Chinese government has used eminent domain for large scale urban renewal projects to house it's hundreds of millions of new urban dwellers. San Francisco has much fewer people to worry about, but large scale change is in order for the Tenderloin and SOMA.

To change our view of China might be best for then we may accept some of their methods. A liberal city like San Francisco would surely do a better job after eminent domain evicts long term owners from their property.

San Francisco is so liberal it's conservative in it's city planning. A revolutionary concept is to take away the rights of property owners in the corridors of development and then emphasize rights in the new developments. Liberalism goes through cycles. It's time to get rid of what's in the way.

May Mayor Gavin Newsom use his power to bring change through Eminent Domain.

A Hutong in Beijing, China.

Beijing 2010

Undeveloped Shanghai - 1990's

Shanghai 2010

Traveler's Row in the Mid-Market Tenderloin

One or more streets in The Tenderloin could become the Khaosan Road of San Francisco.

Wikipedia Excerpt:

"Khaosan Road in Bangkok has developed into a world famous "backpacker ghetto". It offers cheap accommodation, ranging from 'mattress in a box' style hotels to reasonably priced 3-star hotels."

By subsidizing the education of locals in travel-related services they might then support Traveler's Row with souvenir shops, noodle shops and tours etc. This might inspire some people to raise themselves out of the Tenderloin cycle of downward spiral.

By developing a Traveler's Row with the community, tourists and locals will benefit.

Khaosan Road, Bangkok

Housing and Motels in The Tenderloin

Single Room Occupancy Hotels can be ugly and support ugly lifestyles.

Eminent Domain and New Zoning Laws should be used to consolidate the presence of single room occupancy hotels where live many of the transients and drug addicts who bring blight to the community.

Motels in the Tenderloin should be removed to build housing and businesses more suitable for the Civic Center and Mid-Market area.

Single Occupancy Hotels can be turned into youth hostels. A safe and cultural rich travelers row should be developed.

Many single occupancy hotels should be razed to end the tradition of illegal and skid row type living.

The spirit of the endeavor should include a sense of humor and an impression that the structure of the Tenderloin creates much of the problem and many locals will be gentrified by the changes.

Market Street Spanning Building

A building spanning Market Street could be an architectural wonder that redefines the area. Architect Frank Gehry and Rem Koolhaas come to mind.

For parades the viewing stand could be prominent over the flow of marchers. A cafe and restaurant could be put up there over the MUNI lines. Imagine the shape of this building compared to what is there today. Expedite this proposal to a billionaire who can make it happen!

Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry.

Rem Koolhaas CCTV building in Beijing

McSweeney's On Market Street

Wikipedia Excerpt:

"McSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers, author of the books A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Zeitoun... and the film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are... Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, the humor site McSweeney's Internet Tendency, the monthly magazine The Believer, and the new quarterly DVD magazine, Wholphin. The publishing house also runs two additional imprints, Believer Books and the Collins Library."

Indie Culture On Market Street makes sense. It's a comfortable step up from the current circumstances.

McSweeney's is located in the Mission District. They're expanding their offerings and so may need a bigger place for the 826 Valencia writing lab and other operations. To encourage a move to mid-market could be a benefit to the company and the neighborhood.

The Sex Theatre Issue

The Sex Theatre on Market Street is likely managed so patrons may come and go without fear of being witnessed. This means the development of business on the block must be dummed down to avoid creating a flow of people who might see who goes inside. For this reason sex theatres in SF should be consolidated with secret entrances and this one should be zoned out. There's no greater source of blight than this theatre.

Mid-Market Blog Proposal: Get rid of Sex Theatres on Market Street.

The UN Plaza Issue

Wikipedia Excerpt:

"The section of Fulton Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets has been pedestrianized and re-developed into a monument for the United Nations and the signing of the UN Charter in 1975, when the Bay Area Rapid Transit subway was constructed under Market Street. The 2.6-acre pedestrian mall was designed by Lawrence Halprin. It was rededicated in June 1995, by visiting members of the UN General Assembly as part of its 60th anniversary, and renovated and rededicated again in 2005 during the World Environment Day event."

Based on this Wikipedia description San Francisco does not need a UN Plaza. The plaza is inspired by the signing of a document not the presence of the UN; the inspiration is lacking. In New York there is a nice UN building and plaza. In San Francisco it's small and not much to look at; the fountain is shaped by oddly arranged slabs of stone and appear to be operated by drunks with garden hoses turned into jets by their thumbs. I've never looked down, but that's the impression.

Mid-Market Boom Blog Proposal: Get rid of the fountain or make it into a real fountain.

Plaza Name Change Proposal : Indie Culture Plaza.

Indie Culture Plaza makes more sense. It won't gentrify the area too much and will possibly bring a flow of people along Market Street as related businesses develop.

The UN Plaza Fountain.

The UN Plaza in the Mid-Market Area of San Francisco

Obama and Other Statues for Mid Market

The Obama Statues for Mid Market features local residents and how they change under the Obama statue's influence through the use of statues of the same person on different blocks of Market Street and in Civic Center Plaza.

The Obama Statues for Mid Market is a stages of change concept, but the statues will be further apart than in most other such displays.

Obama Statues:

1. Obama Marching the Kids to Higher Ground.

a. The kids include a few shaggy adults.

b. The shaggy kids look a little better.

c. The shaggy kids have gentrified.

2. Obama Pointing at Problem Child

a. Obama is pointing at Problem Child 1.

b. Obama is pointing at Problem Child 2.

c. Obama is pointing at Problem Child 3.

3. Problem Child Statues:

a. Problem Child 1 is aghast, in disbelief.

b. Problem Child 2 is looking a little more calm.

c. In Civic Center Problem Child 1 is going to work for the government.

d. Problem Child 2 is ignoring Obama.

e. Problem Child 2 is finally looking at him.

f. Problem Child 2 is listening to Obama .

g. Problem Child 3 is mooning Obama.

h. Problem Child 3 is pouting after Obama slaps him.

i. Problem Child 3 is pointing out a moon disapprovingly.

Obama Statues Are Being Made.

Obama Lenin with A Local.

Obama and His Ducks.

If the developers put in this building spanning Market Street then there is the opportunity to install a statue of a deprived local struggling with a smaller version of the building on his shoulders.

A Wrestling With An Angel Statue