San Francisco’s Bayview has long been one of the city’s most historically excluded neighborhoods — underserved by transit and underrepresented in the planning processes that shape it. When SFMTA set out to develop a community-based transportation plan, the challenge wasn’t just logistics. It was trust. D&A had one year to build meaningful relationships with a diverse constituency that had every reason to be skeptical of yet another government planning process.

D&A developed and implemented a comprehensive outreach strategy rooted in community partnership — centering five CBOs with deep relationships in the Bayview as the backbone of engagement. Through 56 community meetings and events, 14 in-person interviews with community leaders and elders, and on-the-ground engagement across the neighborhood, D&A ensured that Bayview residents weren’t just consulted — they were the ones driving the plan.