Treasure Island Parks + Open Space

San Francisco, CA

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Treasure Island is in transition from an abandoned naval base to a world-class destination – with new neighborhoods and public spaces that are socially active, environmentally progressive, and well-crafted. Since 2002, CMG has been a leading partner, shaping a public realm that includes innovative strategies for on-island stormwater treatment, urban agriculture, habitat reconstruction, environmental stewardship, and planning for future climate change.

A Regional Park Destination in The Center of the Bay

The new parks on Treasure Island will be the largest addition to the San Francisco parks system since Golden Gate Park. To realize this historic project, CMG collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to complete a series of master plan documents for the streetscape, open space, and public art, and to implement those plans through design and construction. A few core values informed the design: environmental sustainability, parks as a regional destination, and creating an authentic community. The island has been proving ground for CMG’s mission to improve social and ecological well-being through design, with a focus on accessibility and walkable communities, high-quality bike infrastructure, and innovations in green infrastructure. As the lead landscape architect, CMG guided a team of designers and shepherded the project through the approval process. Now in construction, the 180-acre first phase includes destination parks, habitat restoration, and a network of pedestrian and bike-friendly streets.

Throughout the design process, CMG envisioned unique opportunities to make Treasure Island a destination like no other. The waterfront parks, trails, restoration areas, and streetscapes of this first phase reflect their context, history and ecology, crafted to create a series of dynamic and inspiring spaces for new residents and visitors. Invasive Eucalyptus trees removed as part of the Habitat Management Plan were milled into custom furniture for the parks, boulders unearthed in the construction were built into sculptural landforms in the parks, and new technologies to aid the visually impaired were reimagined as beautiful streetscape features.

We look forward to the completion of the initial phase of this fascinating project with pride and excitement. As the first parks open in the coming years, we’re excited for San Francisco residents and visitors to adopt these spaces as their own and to see them take on new life as part of our collective parks system.