Deliberately poisoned trees, splinter groups, and heated emotions: The road to create a public park in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood has been a bumpy one. Esprit Park, named for the 1980s clothing brand whose former headquarters once occupied the area, has finally opened after years of planning, arguing, and yes—arbor-based sabotage. In her first piece for Alta Journal, Julie Zigoris details much of the drama and design work that led to the park’s eventual opening in February 2025. In reading her article, however, it becomes clear that the work on making everyone happy about Esprit Park might not yet be done. Zigoris settles in with Alta Live to give us the backstory on this eight-year park development process, explain why the park might favor this popular neighborhood’s dogs more than its children, and tell us how a plan for public green space involved more twists and turns than Lombard Street. Don’t miss this!