A New Model for the 21st Century
EcoPark SF is not the end of SF zoo — it’s an evolution.
For more than a century, SF zoo has reflected humanity’s desire to collect, categorize, and control the natural world. But our time demands something new — a model that reflects care, reciprocity, and repair.
The EcoPark model integrates climate action, native restoration, ethical education, and community participation into a single civic mission.
Here, learning happens through connection. Habitats are designed for native species and urban wildlife. Visitors become participants in restoration rather than spectators of captivity. And every element — from renewable energy to public programming — aligns with San Francisco’s climate goals, biodiversity strategy, and educational values.
Why San Francisco?
Few cities are better positioned to lead this transformation. San Francisco has always been a city of firsts — in rights, resilience, and reinvention. It’s a city that has pioneered environmental innovation, defended equity, and inspired movements that spread worldwide.
For a city named after the saint of animals, the time has come to lead again. Transforming the San Francisco Zoo into an EcoPark continues this legacy of progress — uniting climate action, education, and compassion in one living landmark.
Public opinion reflects this readiness for change. In a new survey of San Francisco–area residents, 76% agree or strongly agree that the zoo site should be re-imagined, and 57% say they do not support keeping animals in captivity. The people of this city are calling for a model that reflects both compassion and science — one that aligns with a global movement toward ethical, education-driven coexistence with the natural world.
EcoPark SF invites San Francisco to do what it has always done best: imagine a better way to coexist.
The Science and Ethics of Our Time
Today’s science affirms what empathy has long known: animals think, feel, and experience the world in complex ways.
Neuroscience, ethology, and conservation biology continue to reveal the emotional lives, intelligence, and social bonds of species once dismissed as “instinctual.”
Our ethics have evolved with that truth.
EcoPark SF brings these principles to life, embedding compassion and science into public education. It’s a place where visitors learn not just about animals — but with them, through empathy, ecology, and action.
A Global Movement.
A Local Beginning.
The transformation is already underway around the world. Inspired by ZOOXXI and the Franz Weber Foundation, cities from Buenos Aires to Barcelona are rewriting the story of the zoo — closing cages, restoring habitats, and redefining education around empathy and ecology.
EcoPark SF is where this global movement takes root locally. With every signature, voice, and idea, we bring the future of zoos closer to home.
This is more than a project — it’s a promise: to care for the wild, to honor the living, and to build a city that reflects the best of who we can be.
Join the movement → Add your name to reimagine how San Francisco cares for the wild.