Once you've paid your invoice, if you don't hear back for several weeks, it may be helpful to call and politely check on the status— sometimes things just get stuck.

1. Permeable Sidewalk Landscaping Process and Application
2. Sidewalk Landscaping: A Resident's Guide
3. Sidewalk Landscaping
4. Sidewalk Landscaping Permit Application and Approval Process
5. Sidewalk Landscaping FAQs
6. Green Our City (from 2014)
7. Helpful Resources & Information

Once you have the permit, it's time to get rid of the concrete. We hired Patrice from BlockBusters Concrete, who was responsive, friendly, and professional. It was $500 to remove three sections of concrete, which also included hauling away the removed chunks. The job was very well done, and he cleaned the area once it was finished— we couldn't recommend him highly enough.

It's possible to rent a jackhammer and do the job yourself, though (even if you are capable of doing that) you end up paying for both the rental and also to dispose of all the concrete you took out, so it doesn't end up being much cheaper.

With the concrete removed, it's up to you how you'd like to landscape it. After getting inspired by some beautiful planters on 42nd Ave, and knowing that a garden patch on the ground would attract a lot of attention from dogs passing by, we opted to build our own planters.

For weather-resistant wood, we went with rough redwood from Golden State Lumber, in Brisbane. They're very friendly and, though most of the lumber is sold in 16ft+ sections, they'll make cuts for you on-site with a chainsaw (we could only fit 8ft sections in our car).

There are plenty of guides online for how to construct raised beds— to start, you can take a look at this one and this one (which covers building on a slope, which we had to do).

If you'd like professionally built raised beds by a local craftsman, we highly recommend you reach out to Ben Garcia at Longshore Craft & Construction.

With permission from the city to do so, and the concrete out of the way, and a structure in which to do it, it's finally time to put some more green in the Sunset. We recommend getting drought-tolerant and/or native plants, which will thrive without too much care. Sloat Garden Center has an excellent section for these plants. And, of course, you can't go wrong with succulents.

If you're interested in putting in drip irrigation (which is not only easier than watering by hand, but more water-efficient), the Urban Farmer Store is a great resource. (If you go, try to find Jen— she's amazing.)

For any trees that you plant, you'll want to do your research to make sure it's a good fit for the neighborhood. The city has a helpful Recommended Street Tree Species List that you can use, and Friends of the Urban Forest has a thorough guide as well.

Once it's time to buy a tree, we once again recommend Sloat.