Yerba Buena Gardens is the name for two blocks of public parks located between Third and Fourth, Mission and Folsom Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. The first block bordered by Mission and Howard Streets was opened in 1993. The second block, between Howard and Folsom Streets was opened in 1998. A pedestrian bridge over Howard Street connects the two blocks. The Yerba Buena Gardens are owned by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and were planned and built as the centerpiece of the Yerba Buena Redevelopment Area.
Yerba Buena is the original name given by Spanish settlers to what later missionaries chose to call San Francisco.
