Learn About San Francisco Call Boxes
San Francisco's distinctive red (and sometimes blue) emergency call boxes stand at about 2,000 intersections across the city.
Though these quirky little houses once served a crucial purpose, they now represent the city's rich history as well as its current challenges.
CRITICAL FACT
"Almost three-quarters of the boxes simply don't work."
BUDGET REALITY
"The city is facing an $800 million budget deficit over the next two fiscal years."
TOO EXPENSIVE
"A request for $40 million in capital funds to retrofit 1,200 boxes was denied in 2019."
FALSE ALARMS
"95% or more of the calls turn out to be false alarms, whether from malfunctioning equipment or pranksters."
PRACTICAL PRESERVATION
"The right thing to do is to make it abundantly clear with some very straight forward signage that they're not operable. They're neat, historic relics, but I think we should be honest with ourselves that it's not the best place to put our money." - Former Supervisor Aaron Peskin
Our Solution
Call Box Canvas proposes transforming these non-functional but historically significant call boxes into canvases for local artists, preserving their character while eliminating the need for costly city maintenance.
By transforming these boxes into public art installations, we:
- Preserve San Francisco's unique character and history
- Eliminate confusion about broken emergency infrastructure
- Save the city millions in maintenance or removal costs
- Create paid opportunities for local artists
- Enhance neighborhoods with hyper-local art installations