Before the Wiggle was the bike route of least resistance through some of San Francisco's hills, it was a flat creek bed that hosted an intermittent stream. But that's the story of many waterways and seasonal "arroyos" lost to memory that would be recalled by a proposed project of the Market Street Prototyping Festival coming in April.
The festival's goal of uniting "diverse neighborhoods along Market Street, encouraging these vibrant communities to work with designers, artist and makers to build a more connected, beautiful San Francisco" has inspired ideas such as a "Fogplane," an installation of even more dramatic fog to our cool, gray streets. "It’s blending the arts and city government, and city innovation and community input, to change the face of the busiest street in San Francisco," Gina Simi of the San Francisco Planning Department told SFist.
The "Ghost Arroyos" project, as highlighted by CityLab, would recall the apparitional streams and waterways of our peninsula's past.
From the project, designed by Emily Schlickman and Kristina Loring:
"Up until the 19th century, ephemeral streams ran through nearly every valley in San Francisco, channeling rainwater to peripheral tidal estuaries. This project, "Ghost Arroyos" seeks to reveal these forgotten waterways of the city through a simple, but powerful intervention. Situated between 7th and 9th street, the project will mark the historical footprint of the arroyos onto the urban surface through paint or lighting. Visitors to the festival will be invited to trace the path of the waterways while listening to a curated recording of hydrological soundscapes and oral histories."
If you're ready to hear the gurgle of San Francisco's geological past, you can express your support or volunteer to help out.