San Francisco Japantown Development Update
By Ann • Jun 24, 2009SAN FRANCISCO — The revitalization of Japantown — a neighborhood that wears the scars of past policies — could shut down two lanes of a roadway to make room for pedestrians where there are now cars.
The overarching plan for the area aims to bring in new visitors and add housing and ground-floor stores.
To do so, about one-quarter mile of two lanes on Webster Street would be turned into a public park, according to a draft plan. In addition, Peace Plaza and Buchanan Mall would be overhauled and new street-facing stores would open in the neighborhood.
Source: SF Examiner
Revitalization of Japantown will only be accomplished by welcoming / incenting new businesses to form in the area. The current merchants, non-profits, and associations have been so exclusive for so long that they have alienated themselves, and they will now probably not able to raise enough capital for even the most conservative of their “revitalization” plans. Japantown should decide now: cater to big Japanese businesses to reside here, or become a more inclusive pan-Asian area (you already see lots of Korean and Hawaiian enclaves), because the nisei, sansei bunch are not getting the job done.