BuildSF Panel | Downtown Turnaround: Reimagining San Francisco’s Core

Date and Time for this Past Event

• Thursday, Oct 9, 2025  5:30pm - 8:30pm

Location

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Details

The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with BOMA SF, the Downtown SF Partnership, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), launched the Downtown Turnaround project in 2025. This forward-looking initiative challenged GSD students to envision bold proposals for the future of San Francisco’s downtown in 2035, with their ideas reviewed by a distinguished panel of industry leaders.

Attendees are invited to a special panel conversation where experts will reflect on the project's implications and how the student visions connect with current revitalization efforts, such as the recent ULI competition focused on Market Street.

This event, presented in partnership with the American Institute of Architects San Francisco (AIA SF), offers an opportunity for the design, planning, and real estate communities to convene, spark conversation, and explore a bold future for the city.

Event Details

• Date: October 9th
• Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
• Run of Show:
  • 5:30 PM: Doors Open
  • 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Program & Panel Discussion
  • 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Networking

Featured Panelists

The discussion will feature experts who reviewed the student proposals, including:

• Sarah Dennis Phillips, Planning Director, San Francisco Planning Department
• Claude Imbault, Vice President of Planning and Economic Development, Downtown SF Partnership
• Harry Liner,  Master of Urban Planning, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
• Joe McCarthy, Vice President, SKS Partners
• Cathy Simon, FAIA, Cathy Simon Architecture and Urbanism
• Alex Yuen, RA, Design Director, Collective Operations, Lecturer in Urban Design, Harvard University Graduate School of Design 
• Moderated by: Mike Grisso, Senior Vice President, Kilroy Realty