In 1953, the San Francisco board of Supervisors designated a 19 block section south of Market Street as a Redevelopment Area. In the late 1970's, after years of delays and setbacks, the San Francisco artistic and community groups gathered to collect information about practical needs and cultural aspirations. Developed with extensive community involvement, the Yerba Buena project planned to put much of the convention center underground while providing low-income housing and cultural and open space. In 1980, Mayor Dianne Feinstein and the SFRA issued an invitation to developers worldwide to "create...in the heart of one of the world's great cities, an environment in the form of a magnificent urban garden..." The 87 acres of Yerba Buena Center include the area from Market to Harrison and Second to Fourth Streets. Within these blocks are Center for the Arts, 5.5 acres of urban gardens, four museums, the Moscone Convention Center, more than a dozen art galleries, and countless restaurants and cafes. The community's determination to ensure that the Yerba Buena Community would preserve and foster popular culture resulted in the center we have today; the focus on ethnic diversity reflects the values and cultures of our community.

Early History
Yerba Buena, the American settlement on the San Francisco Bay was officially named San Francisco in January 1847. At the time, only 462 people lived in the area in tents, shanties or adobe huts. The settlement originally called Yerba Buena was first named in 1835 when William A. Richardson of England, brought his family and settled in the area.