China Basin Park

Foregrounding the living systems of San Francisco Bay, China Basin Park is a 5-acre waterfront park and cultural centerpiece of the Mission Rock neighborhood.

Perched on one of the most iconic bays in the world, San Francisco is slowly reconnecting with its waterfront after decades of industrial use. The new Mission Rock neighborhood is developing in response to the city’s new expectations for what it means to live and play on the waterfront.

Just across McCovey Cove from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, China Basin Park anchors the new urban district with immersive features that spur connection. SCAPE partnered closely with a diverse set of stakeholders, including the MLB team, Tishman Speyer, and the Port of San Francisco to bring this community gathering place to life.

The park honors the location of the land as a crossroads for the local community and as a microcosm of the Northern California coast.

The design is inspired by a figure eight, pulling energy from its context into an urban park with a mosaic of destinations creating lively open space.

The park welcomes visitors on sunny afternoons to lie on the Great Lawn, on quiet mornings to experience intertidal ecology and birdwatching, and on game days when the park transforms into an extension of the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

Learn more about how SCAPE designs Parks that Welcome.

Building the Grove

Throughout the park, a variety of thoughtfully designed spaces serve different community needs, helping to form the heart of the Mission Rock neighborhood.
At its western entrance, the park opens up to the Gathering Grove, an organically shaped gathering space sheltered by red-trunked Marina strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina').
The strawberry trees were all nursery-grown in close proximity to the site before being planted.
Over the past year, the grove has expanded into a leafy canopy shaped by the trees' undulating sculptural forms, providing ample opportunities for shaded gatherings and functioning as a wind barrier for the western half of the park.
Catenary lights strung above the trees allow for nighttime programming in the park all year round.

Each destination has an ecological or performative function; the entire park was designed to reduce the impacts of sea level rise and storms while welcoming people to enjoy the waterfront.

Varying elevations within the China Basin Park function as resilient infrastructure. Elevated approximately five feet above existing grade, the Bay Trail functions as a primary line of protection for China Basin Park and Mission Rock from coastal flooding: it marks where the park’s elevation lifts up above future sea level rise and conversely pushes down toward the water through the Shoreline Sands.

This multi-benefit design reduces risk from sea level rise and storm events, while simultaneously enhancing connections to the water and creating immersive experiences of the San Francisco Bay and McCovey Cove.

Buffering the park’s edge, a massive Stormwater Garden conveys and treats runoff from the entire development and invites visitors to learn about the local environment, incorporating green infrastructure through a series of elevated boardwalks crossing the garden.

Enhancing the park’s biodiversity through water-tolerant native species, the gardens provide space for reflection and engagement with the park’s natural systems.

Programming for activity

Since opening, China Basin Park has implemented thoughtful, high-quality programming driven by inclusive placemaking principles.
All public programming is offered at no cost, removing financial barriers and creating an accessible resource for everyone regardless of socioeconomic status.
The diverse calendar included fitness classes ranging from yoga to qigong to HIIT workouts, performances by artists spanning from Talking Heads members to local group Bayonics, and collaborations with nonprofits for holiday gift giveaways.
These activities are specifically designed to attract visitors across all ages, income levels, and backgrounds. The design intentionally creates spaces where different communities can interact organically, fostering cross-cultural engagement.
Giants' pregame activations leverage the park's proximity to Oracle Park, drawing diverse sports enthusiasts.
The park's programming promotes wellbeing across all demographics—demonstrating how exceptional open spaces strengthen community bonds while accommodating varied recreational needs.

Opened in 2024, China Basin Park embodies all that Mission Rock stands for: fostering an inclusive community, building a resilient future, and celebrating what makes San Francisco so special.

Client

Mission Rock Partners: San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco.

Collaborators

Min Design

Miller Company

Pine & Swallow

Pannu Larsen McCartney

BKF Engineers

Urban Design Consulting Engineers

Langan

Brookwater

Peterson Associated Engineers

Webcor

PritchardPeck Lighting

Awards

ASLA Professional Awards: Honor Award - Urban Design (2025)

ASIC: Excellence in Irrigation - Merit Award (2025)

ASLA-NCC: Honor Award - General Design (2025)

ASCE San Francisco Section Awards: Outstanding Parks and Recreation Project (2024)

Press

For questions, please contact SCAPE
press@scapestudio.com

"San Francisco has another great new park — and this one's on China Basin" by John King in The San Francisco Chronicle (2024).

Read more about our design process in Parks that Welcome.

Client

Collaborators

Awards

Press

Related Projects