Mayor Lurie Signs Legislation Allowing New Flower Stands to Bloom

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today signed legislation to modernize the city’s Sidewalk Flower Stand permit program, the latest step in his PermitSF initiative to make permitting faster, more predictable, and easier to navigate—and helping bring more color, foot traffic, and small business opportunities downtown. The legislation, co-sponsored by District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter, District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, and District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen, modernizes the program and updates the city’s sidewalk flower-vending program by opening permits to licensed San Francisco businesses.  

About a year into Mayor Lurie’s work to make permitting faster and more transparent, the mayor launched a fully digital permitting portal that will allow homeowners and business owners to obtain the permits they need online, more easily than ever. Just this week, the mayor introduced legislation to make it easier to host special events and neighborhood block parties. Since initiating PermitSF, it has launched 20 ordinances, including common-sense reforms to remove burdens for homeowners to repair their decks and park in their driveway, or for businesses to set up cafe tables on the sidewalk and paint their own business name on their storefront. To continue the work, the mayor announced plans to create a more coordinated and accountable permitting process by merging the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, and the Permit Center.  

“At its peak, we had more than 120 flower stands up and down Market Street—now, we’re down to just four. Our outdated system has added unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that made it hard for small businesses to thrive,” said Mayor Lurie. “With today’s PermitSF legislation, we’re stripping the red tape and cutting away the barriers that held these businesses back and bringing Market Street and our downtown back.”  

San Francisco has 16 permitted flower stand locations in Union Square, the Financial District, the Castro, the Tenderloin, and North Beach, but many have sat dormant for years. San Francisco’s rules governing sidewalk flower stands had not been substantially updated since 1976, leaving hopeful vendors subject to outdated requirements that are out of step with modern city business practices. The new policy updates the city’s sidewalk flower-vending program by opening permits to licensed San Francisco businesses that are in compliance with city business and tax regulations and removing the family-only transfer requirement that had left stands vacant for years.

“Flower stands bring cheer and beauty to our streets and remind us of days when flower markets dotted corners downtown. With this legislation, those days may return,” said Supervisor Sauter. “It’s another step that we're taking in San Francisco to make life easier for small business owners so that they can focus on their craft and creativity."  

“Flower stands are a cherished part of our downtown sidewalks, especially on Market Street,” said Supervisor Dorsey. “The city is here to support the small businesses like these that make downtown a more thriving and beautiful place.”

“It’s no secret that San Francisco’s permitting process was something of a mess for many years. I was encouraged to see Mayor Lurie prioritize fixing that mess through PermitSF, and more than a year into his administration, this effort continues to deliver real results for San Franciscans,” said President Mandelman. “I’m looking forward to seeing more flowers across our neighborhoods and am happy to continue to support the mayor’s broader permit reform program.”

“Flower stands add vibrancy to our streets, and I am thrilled to support this opportunity to reduce barriers for micro-enterprises and foster more diverse small business ownership,” said Supervisor Chen. “These small businesses are essential to our economic recovery, and this legislation will encourage greater activation of our beloved flower stands.”

Public Works will partner with the Office of Small Business to identify and welcome new vendors, with a focus on the downtown corridor where foot traffic and the need for economic revitalization are greatest.

“San Francisco’s flower stand vendors have been part of the fabric of our neighborhoods for generations,” said Carla Short, Director of Public Works. “Today’s legislation is a long-overdue recognition of their place in our city and a commitment to making it easier for them to blossom.”

“The flower stands that used to dot the sidewalks of downtown San Francisco brought not only charm, but economic opportunity to the businesses that ran them,” said Katy Tang, Office of Small Business Director. “Whether for the upcoming Mother’s Day, birthdays, or anniversaries, San Franciscans will soon have more options to shop for their loved ones while supporting small businesses.”

Under the old rules, a flower stand permit could only transfer within the permit holder’s immediate family—even upon death—with no path for new businesses to enter. The new legislation changes that, allowing surviving spouses or domestic partners to retain priority placement for the same location. If a family member declines the opportunity, Public Works can issue the permits to a new business, keeping stands active and storefronts vibrant rather than sitting vacant. It also streamlines the process by transferring permit approval authority from the Board of Supervisors to the director of Public Works.

The ordinance preserves the core character of what makes flower stands special. At least 75% of goods displayed or sold at any stand must be cut flowers, evergreens, potted plants or wearable flowers—keeping these permits focused on floriculture, not general retail.

“When the Super Bowl was here, downtown felt alive again,” said Valerie Chieng, who has operated a sidewalk flower stand at Montgomery Street and Post Street for more than 26 years. “It reminded me of the days when flower stands lined Market Street. The energy never really left, it’s just been gone for a while. It’s time to bring the flower stands back.”