San Francisco has a politically active citizenry and many residents are involved in their local neighborhood associations. Over the years, these groups have been successful at pushing through legislation that is beneficial to their members.

As a way to maximize this effectiveness and gain more political muscle, most neighborhood associations now also belong to the umbrella  group known as the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods (CSFN). According to their Web site, CSFN "grew out of concerned neighborhood organizations whose proposals to the Planning Department for amendments to the height and bulk limits were rejected."

In other words, like many individual groups, CSFN was, and remains, concerned about maintaining the residential character of certain areas of the City — a concern that remains central to its lobbying and legislative efforts today. Since CSFN's first meeting in 1972, its members have been actively engaged in shaping the public policies that impact San Francisco's neighborhoods.

For activities and membership information, call (415) 262-0440 or send an email to CSFN_SF@yahoo.com.