Our
Conversation

Community Meetings

Community Workshops
Interactive workshops were held throughout the city that were planned around the key phases of the planning process, primarily the visioning, alternatives, and policy framework phases. Activities included mapping exercises and real-time balloting to equally gather input from every workshop participant.
Pop-Up Meetings
To meet with community members at times and locations convenient for everyone, “pop-up” workshops or “intercept” meetings were held at popular locations and well-attended events in South San Francisco. Accessible materials were prepared for three distinct pop-up workshops during the visioning, alternatives, and draft plan phases of the project.
Neighborhood Meetings
Meetings were held in neighborhoods throughout the city to provide an overview of the planning process, increase awareness about outreach activities and citywide workshops, and discuss key issues and new opportunities within the neighborhood. In total, nine in person and five virtual neighborhood meetings were held.

Community Surveys

Community surveys were conducted in most phases of the planning process, either as live polling questions in workshops or through the project website.

The Community Visioning Survey (available on the website from December 2019 to February 2020 in English and Spanish) gathered community members’ feedback on the visioning themes and guiding principles, where they desire change and improvement (e.g., amenities, circulation improvements, and location of new land uses), and their big ideas for the city.

Five Land Use Alternatives Surveys (available on the website from July to August 2020 in English and Spanish) asked participants to review and provide feedback on the draft vision statement, guiding policies, and proposed land use alternatives for the whole city and four sub-areas (Downtown, El Camino, East of 101, and Lindenville).

The third Community Workshop (October 20, 2020) focused on reviewing the preferred land use alternative maps that reflected feedback gathered in the summer alternatives surveys. Meeting participants provided input through a live poll and survey that allowed participants to annotate the land use plan with their feedback.

Ten Policy Framework documents were developed by the General Plan Update team as an interim step in the planning process before drafting the elements (or chapters). Each document is centered on a specific topic and highlights key outcomes, performance metrics and policies for the public to review. The Frameworks were available on the project website throughout the spring of 2021, where community members could annotate the documents with their feedback. These policy frameworks were introduced through ten virtual meetings and short videos.

Small Group Input: Stakeholder Interviews

and Focus Group Meetings
Meetings were held with representatives of a range of community groups, business leaders, advocacy organizations and community leaders early in the engagement process to help identify key assets and opportunities. To ensure that multiple perspectives are represented, specific focus group meetings were held with community members that represent a range of socio-demographic backgrounds, including youth, the Spanish speaking populations, and other groups not traditionally involved in General Plan processes. The meetings were facilitated in English, Spanish, Chinese, or other languages as needed.

ShapeSSF Website

Used throughout the engagement process, the project website connected community members to project updates and deliverables, upcoming events, and meeting summaries. The site included an interactive component to encourage the community to share their stories and complete surveys or provide feedback through interactive activities. The website will continue to be used as a Digital General Plan that is interactive and accessible to the public.

City Council and Planning Commission Updates

The City Council and Planning Commission received periodic updates on the General Plan Update. Additionally, meetings and joint study sessions were held with the City Council, the Planning Commission, and various Committees throughout the planning process at key phases to gather input and provide direction.