San Francisco’s UN Skate Plaza to Expand

San Francisco is a city where skateboarding has both been celebrated and condemned.

Home to a long list of influential skaters, legendary skate spots and Thrasher magazine, Frisco’s also the place where dozens of teens were arrested in 2023 during a massive “hill bomb” skateboarding event near Dolores Park.

That same year, the city opened the UN Skateboard Plaza, near the Civic Center. The 13,000 square-foot area was quickly embraced as a skater’s playground, with banks, curbs and ledges.

On Monday, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department announced further expansion of the site it regards as the “centerpiece of the Civic Center’s transformation.” Over 2,100 square feet is scheduled to be added to the area, creating space for skaters of all talent levels and ages, with an emphasis on beginners.

When the upgrades to the plaza are complete in mid-February, the skatepark will host a Skate UN Plaza kickoff event. Sponsored by Converse, Skate Like a Girl and Tony Hawk’s nonprofit The Skatepark Project, the event will run from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at UN Plaza.

According to the Recreation and Parks Department, in its first year of operation the plaza drew more than 340,00 visitors, contributing to what officials estimate was a 79% reduction in daytime drug-related incidents.

“The Skate Plaza has become a national model for creative spaces that bring people together,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg in a statement. “This expansion is another step forward in making the city safer by making it more fun.”

The Skate UN Plaza kickoff event takes place Saturday, Feb. 15, at the U.N. Plaza in San Francisco from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Details here.