The prolonged closure of the 400 block of Hayes Street may seem like a hyperlocal decision but it’s become one of San Francisco’s most quietly consequential public space policies.
This isn’t just a story about a street. It’s a window into what happens when small business voices are sidelined, when public process breaks down, and when public space is repurposed without public consensus. It’s about who benefits, who’s excluded, and what that says about the future of our neighborhoods.