Triple Bottom Line Parks: Balancing People, Planet, and Profit in San Francisco

Parks have historically been thought of as public goods — created, operated, maintained, and funded by government agencies. In the 20th century, declining government funding for parks spawned the emergence of parks associations and conservancies — typically non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting parks by generating additional revenue or providing services that parks agencies are no longer able to fund. These non-profit partners organizations provide critical support for all types of parks, in some cases, like the Central Parks Conservancy in New York City, taking responsibility for most of the activities that were historically delivered by parks agencies. 

The late 20th century saw the emergence of another phenomenon to address the same funding challenges — the triple bottom line park. Triple bottom line parks combine the same environmental stewardship and public service mandate of other parks with the added requirement they be mostly or fully financially self-sufficient. They are typically led by new types of government or quasi-government agencies that combine the flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit of private and non-profit organizations with the power and stability of government. 

This session will describe the journey of the Presidio of San Francisco, a triple bottom line park in San Francisco. It will focus on the Presidio’s unique mission, authorities, governance, and business model; the genesis of the unique organizations or organizational partnerships that sustain the park; the opportunities afforded by its unique model; the challenges it faces in balancing the three elements of their mission; and the strategies the Presidio has used to mitigate the additional risks they face by having to depend on their own revenue to sustain the park.