Downtown San Francisco struggles to recover as pandemic accelerates decline

Downtown San Francisco is experiencing a sharp decline, with empty storefronts, falling sales and foot traffic, and rising crime.
The loss of office workers and tourism during the pandemic accelerated San Francisco's downtown troubles.
San Francisco's downtown ranks last among North American cities in returning to pre-pandemic activity levels.
To revive downtown, San Francisco is relaxing zoning, converting offices to housing, and investing in infrastructure upgrades.
Business leaders say downtown San Francisco may never fully return to its pre-pandemic vibrancy.