Marc Benioff says downtown San Francisco is ‘never going back to the way it was’ as experts grapple with turning around the ghost town

Main Idea: Marc Benioff says downtown San Francisco is unlikely to return to its old pre-pandemic life, even as city leaders try new fixes to bring people and businesses back.

Key Points:

• Downtown San Francisco has lost foot traffic, shoppers, and office workers, leaving empty stores, lower sales, and a weaker night scene.
• Benioff says the city must “rebalance” downtown and push more housing, more safety, and less reliance on daily office commuters.
• City leaders are loosening zoning rules, speeding office-to-housing plans, and funding upgrades to make downtown more useful and inviting.
• Officials and local business leaders say tourism, dining, and some new shops are improving, but bad publicity and safety worries still hold the area back.