San Francisco, CA (April 2, 2025) – Today, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Francisco and the Civic Joy Fund are excited to announce the launch of Market Street Reimagined, an international ideas competition inviting visionary thinkers to transform Market Street into a thriving, dynamic, and sustainable corridor that embodies San Francisco’s future. The competition will officially open for entries on April 2, 2025, and will be accepting submissions until June 1, 2025.

“Market Street is a world-class boulevard and we’re calling on designers, architects, and people from across industries to submit world-class ideas—big or small,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. “We need to reimagine this iconic street, so think bold and get creative to help us shape its future together. Thank you to the Urban Land Institute and the Civic Joy Fund for making this possible.”

Watch the Mayor’s video announcing the competition.

The competition is a creative exercise intended to inspire and encourage public and private sector development along Market Street, which has been San Francisco’s major artery and most important transit and commercial corridor for nearly two centuries.

Participants will explore and develop fresh ideas and perspectives to address challenges in post-pandemic city cores that will enable them to flourish in ways that are economically viable and experientially uplifting.

From innovative design concepts to economic development strategies, ideas of all scales and fields are welcome from across the globe. Participants must submit a 24” by 36” vertical layout (portrait) PDF graphic of their vision. For more information on competition requirements and how to enter, visit www.sf.uli.org/MarketStreetReimagined.

Submissions can simulate a real-world development proposal, contain a series of ideas or artistic demonstrations and renderings of urban possibilities, and/or include financial tools and road maps that offer solutions to infuse economic prosperity to the region and to the City of San Francisco.

“ULI is uniquely positioned to host a competition of this scale—bringing together top talent who not only have a deep connection to San Francisco but who also understand best practices from the built environment to help realize the city’s future. This competition invites perspectives from the international community, pushing beyond local boundaries to inspire solutions that reflect the city’s dynamic, forward-thinking identity,” said David Blackwell, Chair of ULI San Francisco.

“Market Street is the backbone of our city and, throughout our history, has been the pride of our city. Right now, it needs our collective imagination more than ever. This competition is about sparking bold, beautiful, and practical ideas to bring energy, safety, and joy back to one of our city’s most important streets,” said Manny Yekutiel, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Civic Joy Fund.

A panel of esteemed jurors will gather in San Francisco in July 2025 to review the entries, select a pool of winners, and administer $100,000 in prize money. The jury includes experts in various professions from around the world, as well as longtime residents and business leaders in the Bay Area, who will have the chance to become well-versed in the challenges and opportunities facing the city through briefings and walking tours of Market Street.

The competition’s jury will be hosted by San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. To date, the jury includes the following:

• Po Bronson, General Partner & Managing Director, IndieBio / SOSV
• Candace Damon, Partner & Co-Chair, HR&A Advisors
• Walter Hood, Creative Director & Founder, Hood Design Studios
• Jony Ive, Founder, LoveFrom
• John King, Urban Design Critic, formerly San Francisco Chronicle
• John Pritzker, Founding Partner & Director, Geolo Capital; Chairman, John Pritzker Family Fund
• Stanley Saitowitz, Founder, Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects Inc; Professor Emeritus of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
• Harriet Tregoning, Senior Advisor, New Urban Mobility Alliance

A special innovation prize will be awarded by Norman Foster, Founder & Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners.

To stay updated on competition details and guidelines, please visit our website or email [email protected].

BACKGROUND

This competition will build on efforts by ULI’s Advisory Services program in May 2023 to offer recommendations to the City and County of San Francisco on how to revitalize a 239-acre area of downtown, including parts of Market Street.

For more information, contact [email protected].

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ABOUT ULI

The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 48,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org, or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

ULI San Francisco, a district council of ULI, delivers the mission through programs and initiatives for over 2,100 members in the Greater Bay Area. For more information, visit sf.uli.org.

ABOUT CIVIC JOY FUND

The Civic Joy Fund is a San Francisco-based nonprofit revitalizing San Francisco by investing in and organizing projects that bring joy to the streets. Now in our second year of projects, the Civic Joy Fund has brought art, music, and cultural activities to San Francisco’s streets through events like Downtown First Thursdays, the Summer of Music, and Night Markets all across the city.

For more information, visit CivicJoyFund.com.