Crissy Field

an enduring transformation

Crissy Field’s transformation into a national model of ecological restoration and community stewardship reflect a bold reimagining of San Francisco’s northern waterfront. RANA worked with Hargreaves Associates as the ecological design consultant and contract grower for this landmark project, located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Historically a tidal marsh, the site was filled for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and later developed into a military airfield by the U.S. Army. In 1999, the National Park Service initiated a bold vision to restore the ecological and cultural value of this 100-acre property. The project reimagined the site as the first urban national park, merging natural and cultural landscapes into a hybrid space that challenges conventional definitions of wilderness.

As part of the restoration, 40 acres of habitat were reestablished, including 22 acres of vegetated coastal dune and 18 acres of tidal marsh. This reintroduction of dynamic native systems has allowed fresh and saltwater to meet at Crissy Field for the first time in over a century.

RANA led the propagation and installation of nearly 100,000 native plants, representing 110 species—including seven special-status plants. The restored habitats now support a diverse array of wildlife: over 17 species of fish, 135 species of birds, and seasonal visitors along the Pacific Flyway. The federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) roosts on the site’s public beach within a designated Wildlife Protection Area.

A defining element of the project was the “Help Grow Crissy Field” campaign, which enlisted over 3,000 volunteers from schools, community groups, and the general public. This initiative laid the foundation for an ongoing community-based stewardship program that continues to care for the park.

A recipient of the 2022 ASLA Landmark Award, Crissy Field today stands as a celebrated public space where people, history, and nature converge—an enduring example of urban ecological restoration grounded in community engagement and design excellence.