While its potential for housing development has long been recognized due to its proximity to downtown , blight prevented its effective redevelopment . In 1985 , the city adopted an area plan for Rincon Hill in the city 's General Plan , zoning this area adjacent to downtown for high-density residential development . However , due to the presence of the former elevated Embarcadero Freeway surrounding the neighborhood , development in the area was slow in coming , suffered from mediocre architecture , and lacked the pedestrian-oriented streets and open spaces emblematic of San Francisco 's cherished neighborhoods . As the city later noted , " Rincon Hill has seen the construction of bulky , closely spaced residential towers , which block public views , crowd streets , and contribute to a flat , unappealing skyline . These developments have also contributed little to the pedestrian environment , with multiple levels of above-ground parking , and garage entries and featureless walls facing the street . " After the physical and psychological barrier of the Embarcadero Freeway ( damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake ) was removed in the early 1990s , the area within walking distance of downtown gained new attractiveness . In August 2005 , the City adopted a new Rincon Hill Plan , based more on Vancouverism than the 1985 Plan , that emphasizes tall , slender , and widely spaced towers , interspaced with mid-rise podiums and walk-up townhouses . It aims to accentuate the natural topography of the city by locating the tallest skyscrapers at the top of Rincon Hill . In tandem with the Transbay development plan just to the north , it designates Folsom Street as the commercial heart of the neighborhood . The plan calls for improving the pedestrian experience by narrowing the streets to provide more open space and providing more midblock passages
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Rincon Hill, San Francisco