About this Project
Sherwood’s work of converting the historic Old Mint in downtown San Francisco into a park and public plaza set the development standards for subsequent green street design in the City. Stormwater runoff from the plaza is collected in a rain garden and then filtered to a level far exceeding City standards. Additional runoff is filtered through the plaza’s porous pavers into a grove of paper bark maples at the eastern end of the plaza, preventing virtually all plaza runoff from entering the City’s overloaded sewer system. By delaying, cleansing, and retaining runoff onsite, these combined features work to protect the long-term health of the Bay, and propel San Francisco towards a more sustainable future.